


Sex and Sashimi

by catadamon



Series: Sex & Sashimi [1]
Category: Rurouni Kenshin
Genre: F/M, So old, old fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-02-01
Updated: 2006-06-24
Packaged: 2018-05-23 01:47:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 28
Words: 86,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6100792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catadamon/pseuds/catadamon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spying can lead to other things...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: To Catch A Former Okashira

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is ten years old this year, back in the day when I still used Hikaru as my penname. Seems like a lifetime ago. I still have requests to have this re-posted, since I removed the non-lemon parts from ff.net. I've not gone through and done the massive edits it needs, so I apologize for all of it's problems. One day I'll rewrite this story. One day... *wistful sigh*

"I'm going with you." It wasn't a request, or a demand. It was a command. I looked up his towering figure, my eyes locking onto his. "You're taking me with you."

"No, I am not," he said flatly, tying the sash around his gi. "And that is final, Misao. It is too dangerous for you to come along."

Folding my arms across my chest, I narrowed my eyes at him as he turned away from me. "I am your superior!" I yelled back. "So whether you like it or not, I'm going with you." Very mature of me, I know. 

Aoshi-sama turned to me, his eyes flashing. Aggravation, anger, emotions you didn't normally see in his eyes. "No," he said sharply as he walked over to me. He stopped only inches away from my body, driving my sense of smell insane. Aoshi-sama does have the most intoxicating scent. He smells like a mix of summer breezes and green tea. I absolutely love it. It was one of his more... attracting features-- other than the obvious, of course. Looking down on me, his eyes were narrowed and very serious. "You are not coming, Misao."

For a moment I stood there, letting him think that I gave up. Then, with a fox smile, I yelled, "JIYA!"

The old man came hurriedly into the room. His eyes were filled with panic, "What? What is it, Misao!?" Perhaps I had screamed a little too loud...

Resorting to five-year-old tactics, I gave a big pouty lip and said, "Aoshi-sama won't let me go with him. Please explain to him that _I_ am now the Okashira, and he has to do what _I_ tell him."

Both Aoshi-sama and Jiya gave me an annoyed look. Being Okashira didn't mean I had to start being mature about things did it? With all the stress the job came with, I had to relieve it somehow. Going back to acting like a child was a great way-- because little Misao...

"She's right, you know, Aoshi."

... always got her way.

"So that settles it, I'm coming with you." Aoshi-sama swore under his breath as a bright smile formed on my lips. I didn't really care that he was annoyed. The fact that we would be together, alone, on a mission for a few days in Kobe. Romantic, or not, it was still time with Aoshi-sama that I didn't usually get. I would have to make sure that he also didn't find where the temples were so he wouldn't just hide out there in the day and spy at night. I was going to spend time with HIM, damnit. If I had to chain him to the floor, we were going to speak more than ten words to each other. Hm. Not a bad idea actually. The thought of Aoshi-sama chained actually was quite intriguing. Bad Misao! Bad! Naughty thoughts!

"Get your things," he said harshly, shooing both Jiya and I out of his room with one swift arm motion.

Jiya looked to me, as I was still grinning like a fox. He shook his head and sighed, "But just because you were right, doesn't mean you should go with him. He was right when he said it would be dangerous."

"Yeah well, you also told me it might be dangerous to fall in love with Aoshi-sama... and look where that got me," I retorted.

Letting out a hardy laugh, Jiya patted my back hard. "Too true, Misao. Too true." Then, turning his parental mode on, he pulled me in close, and whispered to me, "You will be careful, won't you?"

"Jiiiiiiiya," I whined. 

"I'm serious, Misao. The last thing I want to do for the next week is worry about you."

I sniffed loudly, pretending to cry, "And here I thought you loved me." I playfully punched him on the arm, "You know nothing's going to happen to me. I can protect myself. And if not, Aoshi-sama will be there."

"It's not from that sort of danger that I want you to be weary of," Jiya said, his voice turning fatherly. "I don't want you to do anything foolish to make Aoshi-sama uncomfortable. I know how you feel about him, but he--"

Closing my eyes, I let out a loud sigh, "Hasn't done anything to show he requites my feelings. I know, I know, Jiya." His eyes were still locked onto me, making me shift where I stood. "I promise I won't try to kidnap Aoshi-sama and try to make him my love slave or anything like that, okay Jiya? Rest assured, I'll keep my lust in check."

"I can hear you two talking," Aoshi-sama's voice called through the wall.

My face flushed to match the color of my sash.


	2. Play The Fool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "If you want to hurt her, you have best try and kill me first."

The trip to Kobe was very uneventful. I wasn't expecting anything less, really. On the train, Aoshi-sama constantly reminded me of how to be stealthy and how to get out of bad situations, just in case we were caught. As if I didn't know these things-- after all, I was an Oniwabanshuu too. Aoshi-sama apparently forgot this, as the way he was treating me was not one of the clan, but as a child. I suppose Jiya was right in assuming that was how he still viewed me. He did help raise me, and then he was gone. For eight long years he was gone. So he wasn't there as I grew up. Aoshi-sama didn't realize that I was twenty-one now, for he wasn't even there for half of my life. I was still very young in his eyes, which annoyed me to no end.

When the never-ending train ride finally came to a stop, Aoshi-sama got up from his seat very quickly. He was still trying to disassociate himself from me. But I was expecting this, of course, and I did have a plan. Before he could step off onto the platform, I wrapped my arms around his right arm. Aoshi-sama flinched, looking down at me as if I had gone insane, "What are you doing, Misao?"

"Well," I said with an innocent smile on my face, "Jiya _did_ say that if we were to travel together, we should make it appear as if we are a couple. It would be suspicious otherwise if we traveled together, given our ages."

Aoshi-sama stared at me silently, as if he were debating to humor me or not. He knew, as well as I did, that it would seem a bit odd for the two of us to be traveling together without being... friendly... with each other. And if there were spies out there, watching for any sort of trouble, they would spot us quickly and the situation could become dangerous indeed. Finally, trying to take his arm back, he spoke, "Very well, but I do not want such a blatant display-- that will make it even more obvious."

"What do you suggest we do then?"

His placid face twitched again. I could see something in his eyes, but I wasn't sure what. Ever so slowly, he brought his arm out of my grip, and then offered me his hand. "Shall we?"

My heart skipped a beat. "Uh..." I muttered, loosing the ability to speak. The first romantic thing Aoshi-sama had ever done towards me, and what did I do? I became a bumbling idiot. My hand shaking furiously, I took his hand. He squeezed it tight, reassuringly. Aoshi-sama was doing a terrible job of trying to make me not be attracted to him.

With his free hand, he took his bag and my own. He then gave my hand another squeeze and began to walk. My feet fumbled underneath me. I had found it suddenly very hard to concentrate on walking. As we walked through the dirt covered roads to our hotel, I looked up to his face, to see any change. Some sign that this physical contact meant something to him. But there was nothing. This should have bothered me, but I found that it didn't. The fact that his hand was holding mine made me ignore the fact that this whole thing could have meant nothing to Aoshi-sama. It meant something to me, and that was the important thing. At least, for the time being.

Because I was so out of it, I didn't even notice where I was walking. Until I accidentally bumped into a passer-by on the street. Suddenly I was awoken to the streets of Kobe, crowded with busy people. Children dressed in dirty yukata, playing with sticks. Women brushing off their porches. Men walking around, trying to look tough. And of course, the punk who bumped into me. "Watch where you're going, bitch!" His hair was the greasiest thing I had ever seen. He smelled like he hadn't touched water in a month or two. It was disgusting. And my face showed it. Angered by my look of disgust, the jerk spit on me, saying, "You want me to teach you some respect?!"

Before I could react, Aoshi-sama had pulled me in towards him, dropping our bags and wrapping both his arms around me. I let out a yelp of surprise. I hadn't been expecting that to happen. Aoshi-sama's eyes narrowed at the punk, and he spoke with the coldest tone I had ever heard him use. "If you want to hurt her, you have best try and kill me first."

Aoshi-sama was carrying his kodachi in a back sheath. The little punk had nothing on him that I could tell. But what I had learned with my travelings with Himura that even when assholes look defenseless, they usually have something hidden... somewhere.

The punk examined Aoshi-sama, trying to decide if he was bluffing or not. With another cold look from Aoshi-sama, the guy ran off, squealing. I couldn't help but smile. True, Aoshi-sama had pulled the over-protective act on me, once again, but the look on the asshole's face made up for the patronization.

... but when Aoshi-sama didn't release his hold on me, I became a little uncomfortable. Okay, maybe uncomfortable isn't a good word to explain, because I would by lying if I said I didn't _like_ Aoshi-sama holding me. Embarrassed... yes, that's a better word. My face had grown very hot, and I became very aware of my heart thumping in my chest.

Finally, I felt his arms release me. Letting out a very long breath, I stepped a few feet away from Aoshi-sama. My cheeks were still blushing.

"I apologize for that," he said, picking up our things again. He was deliberately not looking at me now. 

And who could blame him? I was diverting my eyes as well. There had never been that sort of... contact between us. "I-it's all right," I stuttered. It was a miracle I could even talk. Before I could say anything else, he took my hand again and began dragging me away from the scene of the incident.

We stopped at a small hotel. It was quaint with peach blossoms in full bloom planted all around the gigantic house. It was a hot spring resort! Everything was one level, but the house was very large. The gates surrounding the building were also very tall. I could tell just by looking that this would be an expensive place to stay for a few days. How in the world would he explain this spending to Jiya? After all, we weren't exactly rolling in money back at the Aoi-ya. But if Aoshi-sama wanted to be chewed out by the old man, that was his problem. I would rather enjoy a relaxing environment when we weren't busy spying. Aoshi-sama knew I absolutely loved hot springs.

Aoshi-sama was still holding my hand as we entered the resort. There was a maid waiting for us as we entered. She was a very plain looking woman, with a purple yukata on. Her hair was put up in a bow, and her face was lightly covered in make-up. The make-up was to help her appear twenty, but it actually made her look like she was forty. "Welcome to the Asahikari! How long will you be staying?"

"We are not certain yet," Aoshi-sama said flatly.

The woman raised an eyebrow at us, "Newlyweds?"

My cheeks flushed again. I might as well painted them pink at this point. Before I could start to panic and flat out tell her she was wrong, Aoshi-sama simply answered, "Yes."

"Oh, I see," a knowing smile crept on her face. "Was this a forbidden marriage? Are you hiding out from your families?" She seemed excited by the idea.

"You read us well, ma'am," Aoshi-sama said convincingly, nodding.

She had bought the cover story. Apparently, she wasn't looking at me, or she would have realized in a second he was lying. I was standing there, body limp, as I listened to Aoshi-sama, the man that I loved, but certainly was NOT married to, explain how our parents forbade our marriage, and how we had run away from Kyoto to escape their influence.

"How romantic!" she exclaimed. This woman was an idiot. Most people, by just looking at Aoshi-sama, would have realized that he was not the type to disobey orders. I mean, he wasn't now, was he? I was there. She came over to me and bowed in respect, "Thank you for choosing Asahikari. My name is Maiko. I am the head servant. If you have any problems, just let me know, madam."

Aoshi-sama bowed as well, taking my hand and making me bow as well. "My name is Shinomori Aoshi, and this is my new wife, Misao."

God help me. If he weren't holding onto my hand, I would have collapsed to the floor right then.

Walking to the room, hand in hand, Maiko lead us to the "wedding room", which ended up being a large room with two sets of bedding, a small dinner table in the corner, and an erotic scroll hanging on the rice paper wall. She gave us a small wink as she slid the doors to the room shut. As soon as we heard the doors close, Aoshi-sama immediately let go of my hand. I fell to the floor, unable to use my legs any more.

"Married?" I asked, my face still very pink. If he asked I could always say that I was hot.

Aoshi-sama walked to the other side of the room and opened the screen to a small porch outside of our room. "How else would I not get odd looks from the woman?" he asked. "You certainly could not be my daughter. If you were not my wife, then you would be my mistress. I thought my choice was a bit more appropriate."

I hadn't really thought about that. It wasn't often that a man and a woman would travel together like we were who weren't married. But still, just reliving Aoshi-sama saying that I was his wife... my God, I was shaking. "Th..." I looked at him, trying to make my blush disappear. "Thank you," I finally could say without stuttering. He looked at me, a little surprised. "Thank you, for saving me earlier, Aoshi-sama."

He nodded. "I am quite sure you could have handled that, Misao," I opened my mouth to agree, "However," he said, interrupting me, "I thought it best that we stay..." he paused for a second, staring at me. "In our roles. You drawing the attention of the entire street would have not been very helpful for our situation." He walked to the door, "Now if you will excuse me..."

"Where are you going?" I asked, finally finding the strength to stand. See? I could be as strong as Aoshi-sama. Sort of.

"I have to go do some reconnaissance," he said, his hand about to open the door.

I stood there in silence for a moment, and then took a step forward. "Can I come?"

"It is much easier for one person to get information," he said, sighing. "But you are the Okashira, so you tell me."

More silence. Looking at his face, I was beginning to think that Jiya was right. My presence was going to make it harder for Aoshi-sama to concentrate on the task at hand. Whatever his plans were, me being present was going to interere with them. And since Aoshi-sama liked to work alone, he wouldn't try to fill me in on the situation, either until he wanted me to know. Damn me and my lack of foresight. Solemnly, I nodded, "I'll wait here for your return, Aoshi-sama."

He nodded, "Thank you." He then turned to me, a small sparkle in his eye, "Shall we dine out this evening?"

I raised an eyebrow, "Are you serious? How can we afford that?"

"Do not worry about that," he said flatly.

Smirking, I asked, "What, you want to show off your new wife?"

"Exactly," he retorted.

Again, my legs began to shake. I hadn't been expecting that. He was supposed to deny it and come up with some explanation. He wasn't supposed want to take me _anywhere_. This was Aoshi-sama. Cold, cruel, pretty much clueless on how I felt about him. Was he toying with me? Well, if he was, he was doing a damn good job of it, because before I could stop myself from saying no, my heart blurted out, "Okay."

The sides of his lips twitched. He turned back to face the door, and said, "Wear something that a new wife would wear. We do not want to draw attention to ourselves."

"But I didn't bring anything like that," I argued. Personally, the thought of wearing a yukata or kimono or anything that wasn't a gi didn't really appeal to me. Those things were too constricting and made it very hard to fight if I had to. 

Aoshi-sama opened the door, "Then I would see if the head maid has anything for you." And with that, he slid the door shut.

I cursed at the rice paper door and folded my arms across my chest. Damn that man. He never failed to make a fool out of me.


	3. A Kiss Over Sake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You don't want to get in too deep unless we have to, right?"

Asking if Maiko-san had anything that I could possibly wear had been quite an experience. It took me a whole hour to convince her that I actually did want something--err--decent to wear. She kept insisting on very exotic outfits that exposed more of my body than I wanted to. Finally I decided on a dark purple yukata which had white embroidered shrines all over it. But when she had helped me dress, Maiko-san had done something to the yukata so it would spill over my shoulders. I had to constantly keep an eye on the material to make sure it wasn't slipping; didn't want it showing more skin than I wanted.

Aoshi-sama would owe me big time after this.

I sat next to the table in the corner of the darkened room, facing the door, waiting for him. He had been gone for hours. I was becoming impatient. I didn't like being left behind in matters such as this. He would find a source of information, and then keep everything he learned to himself. Leaving me in the dark. Even if I ordered him to tell me everything he did, I knew that he would leave out certain things, to protect me. And that thought pissed me off.

However, I didn't have long to fume on that thought, as I heard Maiko-san from down the hall say "Welcome back, Shinomori-san!" Suddenly, I became very self-conscious. I made sure the yukata was covering everything it was supposed to. My hands patted my hair, which was now down. I sent a black wave of hair across my shoulders, organizing it over my chest to help me look more mature. My hair was parted to the side held with a white clip, a few whisks of bangs hanging in my face. I had applied light make-up, which was also borrowed from Maiko-san. Never really liking the cakes of make-up that some women applied to their face, I used very little.

The door opened, and my breath caught in my throat. I was anxious about him seeing me in such formal clothing. Excited to see his response, and yet nervous too. All the emotions balled up into one gigantic lump in my throat. When I tried to swallow it, I couldn't. Panicked? Who me?

"I have returned," he said, shutting the door behind him. From his calmness, I could only assume he hadn't actually seen me yet. After all, it was very dark in the room, and I was sitting in the shadows. Not ashamed, but scared. I was scared of his reaction. Scared that he would see the grown-up me and be frightened. Appalled. How could I continue this charade if he hated the way I looked when I appeared to be 'grown-up'?

He took a few steps and paused. Listening. "Misao, I can hear you breathe. Are you all right?"

Nodding, even though he couldn't see me, I answered, "Yes."

"Why is it so dark in here?" he said, stepping towards the lamp next to the porch. He was closer now. I didn't doubt that he could see my silhouette from the moon shining in from the porch. I furthered myself in the shadows. I was going to hide for as long as I possibly could.

"No reason," I lied. "I just dozed off. The afternoon was so warm, I just couldn't help it."

"You should be more cautious," he warned as he finally found the lamp. Aoshi-sama's night vision was excellent, but the human eye could only do so much. The small flame flickered as light filled the room. I took a deep breath in. This was the moment of truth. I would either impress him or not. An ache began to form in my stomach. Worry. Slowly, as if he were purposely trying to drive me insane, he turned towards me. His eyes fell upon me and he froze. He looked at me as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. And I wasn't so sure of whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Aoshi-sama?" I asked. "What do you think?" I held up my right arm, holding the yukata sleeve tightly in my grasp. "Will this do?"

Silence filled the room once more. I was becoming uneasy under his stare. He was appalled, wasn't he? Like a young child who tries to put on her mother's best kimono to appear beautiful, in the end she only appears silly; that was me in his eyes. A young girl who didn't belong in such a beautiful shell. My face fell due to his lack of response, "I look horrible, don't I?"

"No!" he suddenly blurted out. His eyes flashing as he knelt down to the floor. To be eye level with me. Aoshi-sama wasn't usually so considerate. "No, Misao," he said, back in his normal voice. The sudden rush of emotion was gone now. "You look very..." he paused, examining me from head to the floor once more. Whatever he was going to say was lost to him. He just knelt there, speechless.

I still wasn't sure his silence was a good thing. "Aoshi-sama?"

Finally, he looked away from me. He stood, turning away. "I should get ready as well." His hand reached for the sash keeping his gi on, and I immediately turned to face the wall. As tempting as it would be to watch Aoshi-sama undress, I didn't want to make the situation any more uncomfortable. As he changed, Aoshi-sama tried to relay what he had learned while he was out. "The target's name is Daidouji Kei. He will be eating dinner tonight with a few of his female escorts at a restaurant near the harbor." His reasoning behind asking me to dinner now became clear. "The restaurant itself is not fancy, however it is popular with the upper class because of the view. A lot of questionable deals occur there.

"The plan is to observe him for the time being. If anything suspicious happens at the restaurant, we will have to investigate further."

My eyes locked onto the rice paper wall, trying not to visualize Aoshi-sama's... state. To think I had become so embarrassed over the simple task of changing. "You don't want to get in too deep unless we have to, right?"

"Sort of," he said shortly. I could hear him tugging on fabric, like he was done changing. Risking a peek, I saw that his entire body was clothed. I let out the breath I didn't realize had been holding, and turned to face him.

Aoshi-sama turned to me at the same time. Upon looking at him, I was sure the thumping of my heart could be heard throughout the room. He was wearing an English suit, black; his tie, purple. The angles of the suit accented each and every one of his muscles, more so than the Oniwabanshu uniform. He looked... words couldn't explain how stunning he looked. Casually, I wiped the drool from my mouth, pretending I had an itch under my nose. "You.. uh..." I lost the ability to speak. I swallowed hard, trying to remember the Japanese language. "The suit is nice, Aoshi-sama," I finally managed to say. "You wear it... well." My face was burning hot and there was nothing I could do to stop it. He just looked too perfect. And he was all mine... well... sort of. At least for this mission.

Nodding, Aoshi-sama said, "Thank you, Misao." Stepping toward me, his eyes flickered with uncertainty again. He was staring, as if by looking at me, I would somehow silently answer his burning questions.

"Stop staring at me like that," I ordered, turning away. The cold blue of his unwavering eyes made me feel uncomfortable.

Covering his face with his hand, Aoshi-sama let out a loud sigh, "I apologize." I turned my head to look at him. I had never seen him look so lost before. It saddened me. When he removed his hand, his normal icy exterior had returned. "We should go," he said, turning to the door.

I quickly recovered myself and stood up. Cursing under my breath, I struggled to stand up gracefully. I failed. "I hate these stupid things--" I muttered, trying not to pull on the cloth. Walking was more challenging then what I was used to. Yukata are very restricting when it comes to walking. They don't allow you to take the wide steps that I was used to taking. I hated being restrained. 

Aoshi-sama met me at the door. "If it is any condolence, the outfit-" he paused for a second, looking over me again. "You wear it well," he finished, using my own words against me. Damn him. He offered me his hand again. I took it without thinking. If he was willing to fall down with me if--no, _when_ \-- I fell down, then so be it. It would be nice to see Aoshi-sama embarrassed once in a while.

The restaurant was exactly how Aoshi-sama described. It wasn't the highest of class. At first glance, I thought he and I would stand out more the way that we had dressed instead of blend in. However, as we got closer, I could see the politicians and their numerous "escorts", dressed in bright colors; their drunken laughter swimming through the thick sea air.

Aoshi-sama squeezed my hand once more and stopped, just outside of the restaurant. "Do you remember how you held my arm earlier? When we first got off the train this afternoon?"

"Yeah..." I said. My eyebrows raised as I tried to understand what he was getting at.

He looked away from me, "Before we enter the restaurant, I think you should do that again."

My mouth dropped open. "What?"

"The Europeans," he quickly said as if he had been waiting for the question. Apparently, he thought this simple answer would solve everything. It didn't. Instead we just stood there for a few seconds. Looking up to his face, I tried to read what he was feeling. He was neither nervous nor anxious over his reasoning. Face blank, he was acting just like the normal Aoshi-sama. However, I still found it odd that he was so quick to explain his request. That was not like him at all. "The Europeans," he repeated again at the blank look on my face, "have their wives hold onto their arms as a form of ownership. And since I am dressed the way I am--"

That was enough. I really didn't want to hear a full out explanation on why I had to pretend that I belonged to Aoshi-sama. It wasn't hard, really. The hardest part was to continue to remind myself that this was not at all real. I was not married to Aoshi-sama, and he didn't want me to be constantly holding his hand like we were. It was all a charade. Without another word, I slipped my arms around his right arm. I looked up to him with a smirk on my face, "Are you always this suave with women?"

Raising an eyebrow, Aoshi-sama looked down to me, "Actually, they usually throw themselves at me willingly. I do not understand why you are so stubborn."

I blinked. "What?!"

"Come on," he said, walking forward.

I fumbled along, trying to walk along with Aoshi-sama as my brain processed what he had just said. "You made a joke! Oh my God! Aoshi-sama made a joke!"

He glared at me, looking slightly annoyed by my ridicule.

Smiling, I let out a short laugh. "Sorry," I said, shaking my head. "It's just been a while since I've heard you joke."

A sly smile came across Aoshi-sama's face. "Whoever said it was a joke?"

My feet tripped over themselves again as Aoshi-sama drug me into the restaurant. He hadn't said that. He hadn't said that. I forced myself to block his statement from my mind. Aoshi-sama: the womanizer. I just couldn't see it.

The restaurant was as plain as the exterior promised. Just a few wooden tables, mostly filled. The only amazing thing was in the back of the restaurant. There, the harbor night could be seen. Rice paper lights were burning in the distance. Boats floating on the sea's black marble surface while orange sparkles decorated the night's sky. It was all very breath taking. There had never been a time I had seen the sea in a relaxed environment. My weight sagged a little on Aoshi-sama's arm-- but he was strong enough to hold it. Hell, it could lift me up over his head with one arm if he wanted to. Of course, he didn't... but it still had possibilities.

We took a table near the entrance, as the tables that were near the view were all taken. It didn't really matter to me, however, since it was possible to see the lovely view from where we were sitting as well. I sat opposite of Aoshi-sama, who was already scanning the elite customers. He sat so he could see anyone who entered. Always on guard, that was Aoshi-sama. "Is he here?" I asked.

"Not yet," he said, his eyes still shifting around the restaurant. "You should order food so we do not look suspicious."

"We already look suspicious," I whispered loudly. "What do you--"

"It does not matter," he interrupted. "I will not be eating anyhow. I need to keep an eye out for Daidouji." What was the point of going in the restaurant if we weren't going to eat? We could have more easily watched Daidouji from outside, and I wouldn't have to be stuck in the stupid yukata. But whatever. I had let Aoshi-sama run the show, so I might as well go along with it. He did have more experience than I did in the field, after all.

"Excuse me! Two orders of unagi, please!" I shouted over the voices of the restaurant. Smiling, I looked to Aoshi-sama. I knew he liked eel. I wasn't the biggest of fans, but it was edible. "So, what else did you find out today?"

"Not much," he answered.

Back to the man of few words, I see. Narrowing my eyes, I glared at Aoshi-sama. "You know, you could let me in on some of the information. I _am_ your Okashira. Like, for starters, who assigned us to watch this guy and why."

Aoshi-sama wasn't paying attention. He was looking down at his hands on the table. He glanced up at me for a second and asked, "Did you order tea as well?"

"Answer my question." I demanded.

He looked to the table beside us, which was empty. Was he nervous? I continued to glare at him until he finally answered, "Okina told me not to tell you."

Blinking, I asked, "What?" Why did Jiya want to hide this from me? More importantly, why would he go behind my back and instruct Aoshi-sama not to tell me. I was the authority, not Jiya. "I order you to tell me, Aoshi-sama. Why did--"

"Your orders," the waiter interrupted, placing the two plates of eel before us. "Two unagi and a bottle of sake."

I pointed to the bottle in the middle of the table, "I didn't order any sake."

"It comes with the meal tonight, miss. It's the special," the waiter explained.

Taking the bottle in his hand, Aoshi-sama handed it back to the waiter. "We do not wish to have sake with our meal."

"But sir--" The waiter's voice traveled into every conversation in the establishment.

Everyone in the restaurant had stopped their conversations and was looking directly at us. Laughing nervously, and turning slightly pink, I took the sake bottle out of the waiter's hand and put it back on the table, "It's all right, dear," I said very loudly. "We'll take the sake." I narrowed my eyes at Aoshi-sama and said out of the side of my mouth, "We wouldn't want to make a scene, now would we, dear?"

Loud dialogue filled the restaurant once more. The waiter gave us both an odd look. And then, with a shake of his head, he headed back into the kitchen. I could hear him over the loud pots telling the other cook about some whackos in the restaurant. Nice to know that we would be talked about for the next week or so between restaurant owners. I gave Aoshi-sama another dirty look. It was _his_ idea to do this undercover thing, and if he wasn't careful, HE was going to be the one who blew it. Furious at him, I looked down to my food and began to gobble it down. Stare at the food. Anything is better than trying to stop the urge to pound him each time I looked into his eyes. I took the sake bottle in my hand. Maybe alcohol would help. "Do you want some, Aoshi-sama?" I said, trying not to sound too pissed off. See? I had control when I wanted to have it. 

"I have no tolerance, you know that," he replied, still eyeing the others in the restaurant. Some were still staring at us. They were probably now curious why Aoshi-sama wasn't eating or drinking anything.

I poured the sake in his cup anyway. "Drink it and they'll stop staring," I ordered in a loud whisper and then poured a small cup for myself.

Being the man he is, Aoshi-sama just stared at the sake cup. As if he was debating in his mind whether he should tempt fate or not. Personally, I was hoping he would drink it. It would be nice for Aoshi-sama to be the dumb one for once. It was hard to imagine a drunk Aoshi-sama. I was willing to pay money to see it, though. As he put his hand around the small cup, the sound of the door opening came from behind me. I moved to turn to see who entered, but before I could, I felt Aoshi-sama's hand on my cheek, turning my head back. "Aoshi-sama, what are you---"

But before I could finish my sentence, he had pulled me towards his face. Our lips connected in a very sharp, but chaste kiss. My eyes shot open, my body not believing the sensation that it was reading. Aoshi-sama was kissing. Aoshi-sama was kissing me. ME. ME! Fifteen years of pinning after him, he now shows feelings towards me in this very unusual, and unexpected place. The hell? Thoughts drowning in pure bliss, I closed my eyes again and enjoyed the kiss.

We could have been there for hours. Once our lips connected, I completely lost track of all time. I had forgot where we were; forgot about the stupid yukata I was wearing; forgot everything except the sensation of Aoshi-sama's lips. And they were so sweet. Their taste reminded me of the foreign cakes Okon sometimes brought back to the Aoi-ya. Filled with sugar, chocolate, and love. As I moved my hands up to his face, to deepen the kiss, Aoshi-sama's eyes fluttered open in a sort of panic and he broke the kiss. Gasping for air, my cheeks turned a bright red as I looked him in the eyes, "Why did you do..."

"Daidouji entered the restaurant, and he was looking at us," Aoshi-sama explained, his voice still very solid. Hadn't that moved him as much as it did me? Did that kiss mean nothing?!

Aoshi-sama scanned the restaurant with his eyes, looking at everyone very suspiciously. "He left too quickly. He might have figured out who we were."

"But Aoshi-sama," I banged my hand on the table, "Why did--"

"We should go," he said, grabbing my hand and dragging me up from the table. He threw money down on the table to pay for our almost uneaten food. With me struggling in his grip, we left the restaurant, a few of the customers whooping and howling. One of them commented that he would love to see how frisky I was in bed if I was like that in public. I gave him the coldest look I could manage without blushing further.

That was three times in one day that Aoshi-sama had made a fool out of me. I was getting pretty damn sick of it. We were supposed to be keeping an eye on this Daidouji guy as discretely as possible. All we had succeeded in doing was drawing more attention to ourselves. True, Daidouji could have not even noticed us, just picked up some of the prostitutes and left. We had been kissing for a prolonged time... I think. Maybe I just lost it when Aoshi-sama kissed me. God. It was still numb in my brain. Kiss. Aoshi-sama. It wasn't computing. And then something bad occurred to me. What if Daidouji didn't only see us, he saw us kissing? Would he take advantage of that, if it came down to it? If we came too close to him...

But then again, it could have just been my over active imagination getting me, and there was nothing to worry about. You know, other than the whole kiss thing. The life-changing event didn't count... right. Aoshi-sama had some questions to answer. What he felt when we kissed being the first.

Something in my gut told me that this night wasn't going to be without consequences. The question was, were they going to be good or bad?


	4. Addicted To You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Marriage is nothing but sex and sashimi, Shinomori-san."

When you want to forget something, when you want to relax, where do you go? Most would go drink. However, I really didn't drink that much. So I took advantage of the wonderful hot springs that the Asahikari offered.

The events from the night before were still swimming in my head. Or rather, ONE event was swimming in my head. Aoshi-sama had kissed me. Childhood dreams aside, Aoshi-sama had been my first kiss. And whenever I closed my eyes, I would relive the moment again and again. Who gave two shits that we made a spectacle of ourselves? He had finally shown some sort of affection that I could actually understand. I could feel his passion when he kissed me. Loneliness had faded into need.

We both were alive in the morning, so I could only assume that Daidouji didn't figure out who we were. It was either that, or he didn't care-- or he perhaps was waiting. I hoped for the first option.

Letting the scalding water rush over my naked body, I quickly sat in the hot spring. I didn't even allow my body time to adjust to the hot water-- I just wanted to be submerged so I could concentrate on something other than the night before.

The fog in my head lightened slightly. Taking deep breaths, I inhaled the steam from the spring and then exhaled very slowly. Nothing could be more relaxing than this. Closing my eyes, I leaned against the side of the spring and tried to relax.

Of course, Makimachi Misao could NEVER relax. Nope, never a dull moment in my life. As soon as I finally could feel my tight muscles start to loosen, I heard the shoji door behind me slide shut. Oniwabanshu training came into action. I jerked my head to the side so I could see the door, my arms ready to push me out of the water if I needed to fight. Really, the thought of fighting naked wasn't the first thing I wanted to do, but if it kept me alive, well then-- there you go.

Thankfully for my situation, but unfortunately for my nerves, it was Maiko-san, the head servant. She smiled to me and waved before walking over to the spring herself. She held a white towel close to her body, as she stalked the stone over to the spring. "How are you today, Shinomori-san?"

It took me a second to realize that she was talking to me. When she said "Shinomori", for a dread second I thought Aoshi-sama was here. But before I started screaming at the figment that wasn't even there, I remembered the story Aoshi-sama had told her. We were married. That's right. After the night before, I could play this straight. Yeah, just as straight as I was seeing after Aoshi-sama kissed me. I put forth my best smile and said, "Just peachy." See? Not suspicious at all.

Maiko-san slowly eased her foot into the spring, letting her body adjust. Slinking into the spring, she let out a loud sigh as she sat down. "The hot springs are so wonderful, aren't they?" I nodded. She closed her eyes and let out another deep breath. "My muscles are so sore from cleaning," she said rubbing her shoulder. What a wonderful conversation this was ending up to be. I was right about to get out of the spring and hide in some private sanctuary for a while when Maiko-san opened her eyes and looked straight at me. "Can I ask you a question, Shinomori-san?" she asked, her voice sounding concerned.

Now I was curious. Blinking, I said, "Sure."

"I mean," she diverted her eyes away from mine, "I shouldn't even be asking you about this-- I was just a little bit concerned about you--"

"What?" I asked. "Why on earth are you concerned about me?"

She continued to look away from me, "Well, I couldn't notice the lack of noise coming from your room last night after you and Shinomori-san returned. Was everything all right?" I still had no idea what the hell she was talking about. We were quiet, so what? Noticing my curious look, she smiled and asked, "Could he not perform properly last night?" She let a loud sigh, "That happens sometimes."

"Perform properly? Who?" I blinked a lot. I had no clue.

"Your husband," she said with a patronizing grin, like I was supposed to know the answer or something. Suddenly it occurred to me what Maiko-san was referring to. Making love. My face paled and I swallowed loudly. But no real words would come out as I looked down to the water. And now the look of pity turned to a look of surprise. "Don't tell me you haven't had sex yet!" 

Horny middle-aged women, from that moment forward, would scare me to no end. What could I say? Yes? And then blush furiously and avoid eye contact. She would know I was lying to her. When in doubt, tell the truth. "No," I muttered, looking down into the hot spring, trying to look ashamed. Hey, the prospects of sex with Aoshi-sama, although tempting, had never really appealed to me. Wanting to cuddle up to him in the cold nights was more of my taste.

"Never?" her voice squeaked in disbelief.

"Nope," I shook my head, still averting her eyes. I wasn't uncomfortable with this conversation. No, not at all. 

She cocked her head to the side, as if she were deep in thought. "That's odd. You two were so close when you entered into the resort yesterday. I figured that I would need earplugs to be able to sleep through the night. But not a peep." Scratching her chin in thought, she asked, "Have you appealed to him in that way?" As much as I was grateful for her concern, this was a conversation I didn't want to be having with a maid that I only met for a few seconds the day before. Taking my silence as a yes, she closed her eyes like some old woman offering advice to the young. Not a bad comparison, that.

"Marriage is nothing but sex and sashimi, Shinomori-san. You cook, you clean, and then you make love. Sometimes, at the same time. Then you bear children, and then you have clean and feed them as well. It is the way things go. If he is not letting do your duty as a wife then---" Pausing, she looked to me with very earnest eyes. She must have thought the shocked look on my face was an expression of revelation. In reality, it was of horror. "Shall I talk to him? Perhaps I could give him some advice about getting over his... obstacle. I have had three husbands myself. Sometimes they just need a push in the right direction."

I stood up. That was the end of this conversation. The last thing I needed was for Maiko-san to approach Aoshi-sama with advice on pillow talk. "That won't be necessary, Maiko-san," I managed to get out without screaming on the top of my lungs. Two points for me. Forcing a smile, I tried to calm down slightly, "Aoshi-sama and I were just so exhausted from our journey yesterday, we both fell asleep before anything could happen." Smiling devilishly, I added, "But you will need your earplugs tonight. My voice tends to get loud in situations like that." Okay, so I was lying. There would be no making of love in our room as long as Aoshi-sama was... well, Aoshi-sama. His pride would see to that. But if she stuck earplugs in her ears and heard nothing, who was I to tell her we didn't have sex? I just hoped she wasn't joking about the plugs. Or, I could mention this whole encounter to Aoshi-sama. Either way, it would be damn amusing to me. Embarrassing, yes; but still amusing.

But this element couldn't be introduced at a more inconvenient time. The stress factor was already high enough between us due to what happened the night before. What would happen when I waltzed into the room and told Aoshi-sama that we would have to start having sex to keep face to the pseudo cover that he came up with? No time like the present to find out.

Giving my regards to Maiko-san, I quickly left the springs area wearing the white robes they provide for you. Given the situation, I doubt it would have been a good thing to walk into our room clad in a wet towel, or not clad at all. So, the robe. The material itched against my skin. What I wouldn't give to be wearing my gi, but I had to get to the room first.

Upon sliding open the room door, I could feel the air thicken. Tension swirled in the air as much as the incense burning in the room. We were still walking on eggshells. He wasn't sure of how to explain his actions to me, and I wasn't sure if he did it only because of the scenario. He was sitting on the small porch, a cup of tea steaming next to him. Meditating again. What else was new? If there were to be one constant thing in the world, it would be Aoshi-sama's futile devotion to meditation. I understood why he did it, what I didn't understand was why he thought it would help him repent. You could only repent by trying to actually make up for what you did-- not by sitting in a room and trying to concentrate.

I checked the robe again, making sure that everything was covered. It was heavy with the water that I had neglected to dry off. Sitting in the corner that I left it, was my gi, nicely folded next to my pillow. I looked to Aoshi-sama, then to the gi. Which first? Embarrassing Aoshi-sama, or clothes? Considering the subject matter, it might have been more entertaining to just stick to the robe. I was going to regret him taking that kiss last night with such a pitiful excuse.

Walking quietly would have been pointless, since I knew he already sensed my presence. He wasn't an Okashira at fifteen for nothing. I walked normally, bouncing almost, as I had a tendency to do. There was no reason to be nervous, right? Yeah. Just telling Aoshi-sama that we had to have sex. No problem with that.

Surprisingly, Aoshi-sama was the first to speak, "Was your bath enjoyable, Misao?"

I smiled, stopping right at his back. "Yes it was," I replied, with no intention of drawing any attention to myself. "I met Maiko-san in the bath."

"Ah."

That was Aoshi-sama for you-- such the conversationalist. Meanwhile, I was wringing my hands. Not nervous, yeah right. Okay, so I was a bit more embarrassed than nervous. In fact, I was beginning to doubt that this was a good idea. What if he just placidly reacted to what Maiko-san had said? Then I would feel very stupid.

Oh screw it--

"We have to talk about this whole cover thing, Aoshi-sama."

"Misao- about what happ--"

"Maiko-san suspects something," I interrupted. He broke out of his mediation pose, and turned to me. For a few moments, he was frozen, taking in the sight of me in my dripping wet robe. I could still shock him. That was nice to know.

Clearing his throat, he turned back to face the front, "Does she now?"

Being nonchalant was out of the question. I walked around him, kneeling down in front of him so our faces were level. "She..." I could feel the blush rise to my face. "She asked me if everything was all right in the bedroom."

Not surprisingly, Aoshi-sama stayed silent.

His silence only angered me, "You DO understand what I mean, right? I don't have to spell it out to you?" Even if I didn't, my face was flushed to the brink of exploding. I hated when I was right. This didn't in the slightest turn him, and here I was-- the master behind the whole trick, and I was blushing furiously. Sometimes I really hated Aoshi-sama.

"I understand what you are implying, Misao." He reached out and took a sip of his tea, "And what did you tell her?"

I pulled back, a little surprised by his question. "I said we didn't... you know..." I made a 'you fill in the rest' gesture with my hands.

Eyes locked on mine, he asked another question, "Then what is the problem?"

"The problem is that she expects to... hear things..." My face looked down to the patio now. I wasn't comfortable anymore around him. He was being too cool about this.

"And why," his eyebrow raised, "Should the ramblings of an old maid concern us or our mission? Do not think about it. If she comes to you again, just do the wonderful blushing and spouting thing that you are doing now and you will be quite convincing."

Now I was really mad. I raised my head and glared at him. Hard. If he was scared, he didn't show it. It still just watched me with his stoic look. I hated him. Why wasn't he as uncomfortable as I was? Did he really not care about... me?

"Case closed?" he made it a question more than a statement. At least he was still acknowledging that I was now a higher rank than he was. He sat his tea down on the wood below, and met my stare.

My lips parted. My mouth was dry. I was struggling to breathe. Now was my chance... I had to take it, or be sorry for the rest of my life. If only my heart would've stop pounding in my ears. "One more question..." I said, almost pleadingly.

"Yes?"

"Why did you let me come?"

If it were anyone other than Aoshi-sama, I would have said he rolled his eyes. It was the most annoyed that I had seen him in a long time. "You ordered me to take you, remember Misao? You would not take a no for an answer."

"Bullshit," I looked back down at the ground. "You could have made me stay if you really wanted to. Why did you give up so easily? Why this charade?"

"I told you, it was because you ordered me to take you," he pushed himself off the wood and walked into the room. Trying to brush me off again.

But this time I wouldn't let him get away. I was right on his heels, shouting, "Stop lying! You did this for some reason! Just tell me!"

He moved too fast. I didn't even have time to react, much less jump back. For a second, I thought he was moving to attack me. But then his arms wrapped around my back, and I felt my legs leave the ground. He was holding me only inches away from his face. "Do you still want the reason, Misao?" he breathed. I had never heard his voice so hoarse.

My heart began to race, thundering against my eardrums. It was hard to believe that I could still hear properly. Or maybe I wasn't, and maybe he was just talking normally. But oh, his scent was flowing into my nostrils-- he smelt heavily of green tea and sandalwood. He expected me to be able to talk this close to him? I would be lucky if I could force two syllables out of my mouth. So, instead of using words, I used my mouth. Pushing my lips against his so hard, I could feel the bruises coming, I forced into him everything that I was feeling at that moment.

It was a good thing he was holding me up, because I doubt that my legs could have withstood it. Breathing was unimportant, just the sensation of his lips against mine. What could I say? I was addicted now. And it was his fault. Opening my mouth slightly, I snuck my tongue into his mouth, which, apparently surprised him. He let out a low moan, and brought me in closer to him.

God help me if this was just an act as well.


	5. The Discarded Yukata

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Anything you say now will be dumb and will ruin the moment."

I'm not sure how long we remained kissing. The 'lost time' of the first kiss didn't even compare to this. This time, I wouldn't let him push me away. This time, I was going to keep him in my palm. Rolling my tongue through his mouth one last time, I slowly pulled away tugging on his lower lip between my teeth. Looking up into his eyes, I whispered, "Aoshi-sama..."

Taking in deep breaths, Aoshi-sama finally said, "This is not what I wanted to happen, Misao. Far from what I planned." He ran his hand through my hair, "But it is one of the reasons why I did not want you to come."

Frowning, I pulled away from him. "You didn't want me to come because you didn't want to kiss me?" Both feet landed on the ground. It's amazing how much reality sucks when you are not being held in big arms. At least now I could concentrate on the conversation. A little. Oh, whom was I kidding? His scent was slapped all over me, overwhelming my senses. If I could actually complete this conversation without jumping him, it would be a miracle.

"That is not what I said, Misao." His raven hair shone in the small line of light that was coming through our room. Looking down at me, his eyes locked onto mine. "I thought that if you came..."

"I would distract you," I finished for him. It didn't take a genius to understand where he was going. Folding my arms across my chest, I narrowed my eyes at him. Being much shorter than him, giving the vibes of menacing just didn't really work. But I was willing to give it a try.

He turned away from me, lowering his head. Retreating to his place of solitude. "We would distract each other."

"That still doesn't answer my question: Why did you let me come?" Avoiding the subject was something Aoshi-sama had always excelled at. I wasn't about to let him this time. "And what is this mission all about anyway?"

Still refusing to look at me, he repeated, "I told you, Okina told me not to tell you."

"Why the hell not?!" I demanded, stomping my foot hard on the wood floor.

"Let's not be childish, Misao," he said, looking at me again. "You can stomp all you want, but I cannot break my promise to Okina."

"Won't," I corrected, pouting. I continued to glare at his tall figure. "See, this is what I mean. I'm supposed to be the one in charge, the big important Okashira, yet-- _shit_ like this keeps on going on behind my back!"

Aoshi raised an eyebrow, "Really, Misao... where did you learn such language?"

He was trying to change the subject again, with his almost cheerful sounding voice. If at all possible, my glare turned harder. "On the road, looking for your sorry ass."

As soon as I had uttered those words, I regretted them. Anger had taken over me, and I totally forgot whom I was talking to. The years after Aoshi-sama left, up to his return, it was an unspoken promise not to speak of it. I had seen how viciously his guilt took over his life. Guilt still had quite a bit of control over his life, as a matter of fact. Guilt for all the trouble he caused; guilt for the lives lost. We all had forgiven him, but he didn't forgive himself-- and that was the problem. He looked at me, hurt more than he should have been by my words. But I stood my ground. There would be no apologies this time around. The fact that he held Jiya on higher ground than myself, especially after that kiss, filled me with a bubbling rage.

"Misao..."

Shaking my head, I put my hand up to stop him from talking. "No. Just-- no. I don't want to hear it. You say that you respect me and see me as the new Okashira. And then you betray me." Tears were beginning to form in my eyes. Some Okashira I was. There was nothing I could do to stop them-- but I tried anyway. I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from breaking out in a full out tear-fest. "You can't understand how much that hurts... coming from you..." I inhaled deeply. "All of this," I said, waving my hands around, "Hurts. You're playing with my emotions-- and doing it _well_ , I might add."

He took a step towards me, "You think this is all an act?"

"Isn't it?" I retorted, falling back a step. "Isn't me fawning all over you part of your elaborate plan to spy on this Daidouji guy?"

The blue hue of his eyes was unreadable; more so than usual. He looked almost confused-- torn on what he was about to say. "I..." he paused, looking to the side, trying to regain something he had lost. His dignity? I held back a laugh. Supposed to be menacing, and all. "I can tell you that what happened last night... was not according to any plan."

"And what happened just now?"

"That also," he said, raising an eyebrow at me, "Was not according to plan." So I was wrong. I was both relieved and made more worried by this thought. He looked like he wanted to say more, so I gave him an encouraging look. "But... it was... enjoyed."

A smirk formed on my lips, "Wow, Aoshi-sama. You really know how to talk to a girl."

Blinking, he looked down to me, almost stupefied. "Really, Misao-- what do you want me to say?"

"Perhaps that you wanna get down right now and be dirty," I muttered.

"Pardon?"

Opps. He wasn't supposed to hear that. "Perhaps," I said, taking a step forward, "That you want it to happen again." Had I just said that out loud? Completely rooted to the spot, my face froze in a surprised expression. No, I hadn't just right out told him that I wanted to jump him. No, no, no, no, this wasn't good.

The only thing worse was the fact that he didn't give a quick answer in return. No witty remark, no changing of topic. He just stood there, staring at me. And were his eyes simply lovely. It had been a long time since I just stared into them. I had been afraid to do so ever since he had returned with Himura. It felt as if I was prying into an area that I wasn't welcomed in. What would happen if I stumbled upon his inner monster? What then? Convincing myself for months that he was a changed man, finding that he was actually the beast that he claimed he was. No, that was the last thing I wanted to happen. But there was nothing like that. His eyes were empty. Why did I ever expect anything more?

Hanging onto his silence, my mouth parted open slightly. Breathing had become optional. Had he actually heard what I said? And liked it? I became very aware of the fact that I was still in the itchy yukata from the baths. It was still soaking wet. Perhaps Aoshi-sama had noticed this as well. I caught him looking at the robe. Following his silent request, I grabbed the belt and pulled. As it fell, I could feel the material of the robe loosening against my body. A cool breeze whipped around my wet skin. It was too late to back out of this now. Either Aoshi-sama would grab my yukata and tell me to cover-up, or he would take advantage of his current situation.

He remained silent. Watching me with ever-growing eyes. I was regretting taking this risk... my entire body flushed of embarrassment. If he didn't want me then... I moved to pull the gaping yukata shut.

But I found Aoshi-sama's hand atop of mine.

Maneuvering his hands to my shoulders, he pushed open the yukata, allowing it to fall to the floor, leaving me completely naked. Not really in charge of the situation anymore, was I? Slowly he moved his gigantic hands from my heart to the back of my neck; his fingers playing with my skin as he did so. Never thought I would get goose-bumps like I experienced then.

He opened his mouth to speak, but this time I stopped him, whispering, "Anything you say now will be dumb and will ruin the moment. I want this. Don't doubt that. I've wanted this for so long... Just-" I closed my eyes, "Kiss me again."

At first, I thought he was going to comply. I could hear the closing in of his body, the closeness of his breath. But just as I expected him to touch my lips, I felt him nibbling my ear lobe. My eyes shot open, "Aoshi-sama..."

"This is one area where I will take charge, Okashira." My body was reacted to his whispers in ways I had never experienced, or imagined. A pulse was building up inside of me. In tune with his heartbeat.

I was throbbing for him.

A smirk formed on my lips, "If you think that I'm going to give up so easily..." Without warning, I swept my right foot underneath his feet. He fell to the floor with a very satisfying _THUMP_. Seductively maneuvering myself over his body, my lips became even with his. "You have another thing coming... Aoshi-sama" I muttered, just before forcing my lips against his. As we kissed, my hands fumbled along his chest, searching for that all-important obi on Aoshi-sama's yukata. It wasn't fair that I was the only one completely naked. With a very satisfying YANK, the knot came undone, and opened the front of Aoshi-sama's yukata. My hands dived in, spreading fast against his large chest. The ripples of scars tingled against my fingertips. My eyes met with Aoshi-sama's as I pulled away from his kiss. This was really happening. This wasn't a dream.

Slowly, he turned to his side, holding onto my body as he did so. Now he was on top. His yukata was clinging to him for dear life. As I was about to yank it off, so we were both equally nude, he said something unexpected, but completely Aoshi-sama. "We shouldn't be doing this, Misao."

"Then let's do the wrong thing." I pulled him in for another kiss, forcing my tongue into his mouth again. His taste was intoxicating. We couldn't just quit after all of this. He was ready now. I could feel it. He pulled out of the kiss, the both of us gasping for air.

"M-Misa--" he said, panting.

"Oh my!" A third voice said. The both of our heads quickly turned to the shoji doors, where Maiko-san was standing. A very knowing smile on her very not surprised face. She was holding a change of bedding. "Did I... come at a bad time?" She asked with the most fake innocence I had ever witnessed.

I quickly rolled away from Aoshi-sama's body, grabbing my discarded robe from off the floor as Aoshi-sama hastily tied his robe shut again. I fumbled with the robe so it would cover-up the important parts as I held it up. Amazingly enough, Aoshi-sama remained his unflappable self. "Can we help you with something?"

"Well," she said with a loud sigh, "I brought you a change of bedding, as I thought that the two of you might need it after my conversation with Shinomori-san." She nodded to me, and I blushed. More so than I already was, which was definitely saying something. Eggs could be cooked on my skin. "But the real reason that I'm here is that there was a message left for you, Shinomori-san."

I blinked to Aoshi-sama. Wasn't our location supposed to be secret? Had we been caught? 

"Who was it?" Aoshi-sama asked, his voice faltering slightly. Apparently, he realized the same things that I had. Was he worried?

Turning to him, I observed his handsome face. Yes, there was worry in his eyes. Great. Bad guys were coming, and I was still naked. The day was just getting better and better as it went. What was next? Getting stabbed in the abdomen with blunt daggers?

"Fujita Gorou, he said his name was." Maiko-san nodded, as if she was supporting her own memory. "He said that you were to meet him tonight at the usual place."

Fujita Gorou? Why did that sound familiar? I couldn't quite place that name anywhere, but I knew I had heard it somewhere before...

Aoshi-sama nodded to the maid, "Thank you, that is enough." Maiko-san started to enter the room, but Aoshi-sama interrupted her saying, "Just leave the bedding there. We can take of it. Goodbye."

Bowing out of the room, Maiko-san shut the door. Was that a look of disappointment on her face? That dirty woman! Biting my tongue, I held back the urge to slam the shoji door open again and give that woman a telling. But you know, the whole naked thing... Instead, I looked to Aoshi-sama and blinked. "Fujita Gorou?"

Taken back by my question, Aoshi-sama blinked. He quickly regained his composure by clearing his throat. "He is our contact for this mission."

"So _that's_ who you went to go meet last night before we went to the restaurant." I said, slamming my fist into the other hand, which was palm open. He nodded. I crawled over to him, puppy-dog eyes on full. "Can I please go with you to see him? It would be nice to be a little bit more informed about this mission."

As I came closer to him, the irises in his eyes became smaller. "Yes... yes, you can but- Misao-" he said hurriedly.

"What?" I asked, blinking.

"Put your yukata back on."

It was then that I noticed that I was still naked. Forgot to put back on that yukata at some point. Looking down, my breasts were very predominately showing themselves off. I blushed. No, blushed isn't the word. My skin became the darkest shade of red EVER. As I fumbled to cover myself up again. Now I was embarrassed. Great timing, Misao. I reached over for my yukata once more and this time securely tied it up, making sure NOTHING was showing. My skin was still flushed. I still couldn't believe how close we had been... if only Maiko-san hadn't interrupted us.

Aoshi-sama must have been thinking the same thing as he diverted his eyes away from me as I tied up my yukata. He didn't find my status so inappropriate a few moments before. In fact, it was _him_ that caused my yukata to be crumpled up in that pile on the floor. _He_ was the one that took it off. His head lowered, he muttered his apologies, "I am sorry, Misao."

"Why?" I asked, adjusting my yukata for the twentieth time. Embarrassment does that to you.

Letting out a loud breath, he looked to me, his eyes flaring. "Because I lost control. If Maiko had not come--"

"Then we would be having a lot of fun right now," I retorted, slightly angered that he thought what had happened was a bad thing. Standing up, I walked over to him, my eyes narrowed. "Don't start this on me, Aoshi-sama. I'm not sorry for what I did-- or what you did. Please don't do that whole guilt thing on me."

"We should not--"

I placed my hand underneath his chin, making him look up at me. "If it's because you don't love me, because you just got caught up in the moment, fine. I'll have to deal with that." _And relive those few minutes over and over in my mind for the rest of my life,_ I continued silently to myself. "But if you do care for me, there's nothing to be sorry for."

Aoshi pulled his head away from my grasp. "We should be concentrating on our mission, not our desires. It seems all I have been doing is the latter."

"So you are human?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "You _do_ actually desire things."

"I desire you," he muttered very quietly.

By his reaction, after he had muttered those three words, he hadn't meant to say them out loud... or to think it at all.

My heart pounded in my throat.

Despite the volume of his whisper, those three words hung in the air like a thick odor. Not a bad odor... a sweet smell, appealing to all of my senses. Like the smell of a fresh peach. I reveled in it. The blush that was coming across my face again as a smile broke out. So it wasn't the crucial _L_ word. But this was Aoshi-sama. I would take anything I could get when to came to him.

When I tried to say something in response, all I could force out were undefined mumbles.

Aoshi-sama had rendered me speechless once more.


	6. Appearance of the Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Couldn't just stay home in Kyoto, could you Weasel? You just had to follow your Aoshi-sama like some lost dog."

"So are you going to tell me who this Fujita Gorou guy is, or not?" I asked, keeping close to Aoshi-sama as we briskly walked through the streets of Kobe. Sunset had just begun to stain the sky with its bright orange hue. Already people were drinking, laughing inside the port restaurants. Such a lively city, really. But that wasn't important at the moment. I could concentrate on the scenery later.

Aoshi-sama looked to me blandly, looking rather annoyed at the question. But then again he always looked like he was annoyed, so I suppose it could have just been my imagination. "Does that name sound familiar to you at all?"

Crossing my arms against my chest, I let out a puff of air. "Yes it does. I told you it does. Yet you again ask me the same damn question, avoiding giving me a straight answer _once again_." Hard to believe that less than three hours previous I was very naked in his arms, very close to making the both of us very sweaty. But like I said, that was three hours ago. Now Aoshi-sama had once more become his old wearisome self.

"I do not understand why you keep asking me, if we are so close to seeing him," he retorted. "Besides, I would have thought you knew who he was."

Shaking my head, I repeated, "I. Don't. Know." Another sigh. "Should I spell it out for you?"

"That will not be necessary, Misao," he said, looking back at me once more as he wedged between an elderly couple. He was picking up the pace again. If he was in such a rush, perhaps there was something to be worried about while on the streets where all eyes could be watching us.

I tried to widen my strides to match with his. If he kept this up, I would have to run soon. I eyed everyone around us. Suddenly the fish seller, who had appeared innocent only seconds ago, appeared suspicious. So did the kid playing with the _kamifuusen_ across the street. Or I was becoming particularly paranoid. How could I help it? Aoshi-sama's obvious anxiety was beginning to worry me. He usually wasn't the one to become so nervous during a mission. "Shouldn't we be holding hands, Aoshi-sama?"

That made him stop. He slowly turned to face me, watching me very closely- trying to read my feelings on the matter. If I didn't want to, I wouldn't have asked. However, he was still under the impression that he had taken advantage of little old me, even though we didn't _do_ anything. "No, we should not," he replied, tight-lipped.

"Could you possibly try to say more than one sentence when talking to me?" My voice was scornful. I couldn't help it. Once the fact that he was so cold to me didn't bother me. In fact, I used to see it as a sort of endearment. But that was before he had shown such passion towards me. Watching him now act apathetic angered me so much. I hated the fact that he had crawled back inside his shell. And I hated the fact that I was the one that did it to him.

"Not in public," he said, beginning to walk through the street again.

With a burst of speed, I caught up with him, grabbing his left hand tightly with my right. Before he could protest, I whispered loudly to him, "Try to pull away, and I'll scream."

Shooting me with an absolute look of disgust, he yanked my arm hard and pressed on through the streets. He was now moving with a speed that was impossible for me to keep up with simply by walking. I was jogging next to him, almost to the point of being dragged. Probably was a funny sight, that.

He finally stopped near the shore of Osaka Bay. Once again, we were in the port district. I suppose it was to be safer, but it would be hard to believe that was the reason with all the suspicious characters lurking about. I kept close to Aoshi-sama. Sure, I could defend myself, but Aoshi-sama was intimidating. I was not. The less trouble we got in, the better. Something told me that this meeting with the contact had not been planned at all.

"Stay close, Misao," he ordered, pulling me even closer in. Breathing in filled my nostrils with his masculine scent again. Shivering, I could feel the heat rush up to my face. We walked over to a boarded up building, that looked like it was once a store. Everything was gray with the look of death- and it wasn't because the sun had almost disappeared for the night. This place would have looked creepy if it were high-noon.

Hesitating, I pointed up to the building, " _That's_ where we're going?"

Shaking my arm like a three-year old child, he hissed, "Do not point! You want to get us killed?"

"Aoshi-sama," I looked up at him, my eyes wide. "What have you gotten us into?"

"Lower your voice, Misao."

"Yes, Weasel, the whole damn neighborhood can hear you." A voice said to my right. My ears twitched. I knew that voice. Whirling around, I saw the shadowed silhouette of Saitoh Hajime. Smoke rings encircled him, and his face was half hidden by shadow. But I knew it was him. The phantom smirked as a look of recognization crossed my face. "Nice to see you again too. Don't make this worse than it already is, Weasel. Shinomori, take her inside now."

"But-"

My protests were ignored as I was lead into the boarded up building. Inside, it didn't look near as old as it did outside. The floor was scattered with desks. There were police officers buzzing back and forth, receiving telegraphs, and writing out reports. It looked like a small version of the police station back in Kyoto. The door safely shut behind us, I turned around, eyes narrowed, glaring at Saitoh as fiercely as I could. "Would somebody PLEASE tell me what's going on!"

"I'm impressed, Shinomori," Saitoh coolly said as he blew a puff of smoke out of the side of his mouth.

Aoshi shot him a cold look "Why?"

"She hasn't beaten it out of you yet," the good policeman said with a smirk forming on his face.

"Okina asked me not to tell her any of the details."

Saitoh sat at the empty desk that was nearest to the door. "At least he had more sense than you." He flicked the burning ashes from his cigarette, the small orange flakes glowing orange on the floor. "You listen to the old man, but you won't listen to me," he snorted. "Figures."

If there's one thing I disliked the most, it would be being talked about like I wasn't there. Jiya and Aoshi-sama used to do it all the time at the Aoiya. "Will someone please explain this to me. Why is _he_ here?" I glared at Saitoh. "And where is this Fujita Gorou?"

"You didn't even tell her that?" Saitoh raised an eyebrow. He let out a short chortle, looking to Aoshi-sama, "You really don't know anything, do you Weasel?" I folded my arms against my chest. "Fujita Gorou is one of my aliases. Surely you remember that?"

I glared at Aoshi-sama. He didn't tell me Saitoh was involved because he knew I would refuse to allow the Oniwabanshu to deal with him. It wasn't a secret that Saitoh Hajime and I did not get along.

"So Shinomori," Saitoh said, extinguishing his cigarette in the ashtray on his desk. He exhaled the left over smoke out of his nose. "You want to tell _Makimachi-san_ why you both are here, or should I?"

Folding his arms against his chest, Aoshi-sama leaned up against the furthest wall away from Saitoh. Eyes narrowed, he didn't look the slightest bit happy. That calmed me down a little. At least I wasn't the only one angered by this turn of events. "Well, since you were doing so good of a job, Saitoh, why should I stop you now?"

"Cute, Shinomori," Saitoh growled. "Real cute. The both of you almost fucked up our entire mission last night, and now this." He lit another cigarette furiously. Turning his fury onto me, he continued, "Couldn't just stay home in Kyoto, could you Weasel? You just had to follow your _Aoshi-sama_ like some lost dog."

"Why you-" I started to fume, but was interrupted by--

"That is _enough_ , Saitoh."

Aoshi-sama.

I turned to him, my heart pounding hard against my throat. Had he just... stood up for me?

Saitoh pointed at Aoshi, his cigarette gracefully hanging between his fingers. "Ah yes." A patronizing smile came to his lips. "When it was reported to me this morning that the both of you showed up in Kobe hand in hand, I punched the officer for lying." He took another drag off of his cigarette, "After all, Shinomori Aoshi wouldn't have allowed some little girl to hold his hand in public, much less come to Kobe with him. He knew the dangers involved with the mission." He looked at the both of us devilishly.

I really hate that man. He was purposely trying to make us mad with him. Or was just too full of himself to realize that he was being insulting. Either way, I couldn't take much more of it. Apparently, he sensed this. Saitoh leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh, "The Oniwabanshu were contacted a few weeks ago to help the police with the search and capture of Daidouji."

"Why would the police ask us for help?" I asked.

"Daidouji is a known weapons dealer to, let's say, a questionable crowd," he continued, ignoring my question. "These people are responsible for a few 'attacks' in Kyoto that we at the police have been trying to keep quiet. The complete destruction of a certain Aoiya by Shishio Makoto hasn't left the memories of those who live in the city, and we really didn't want to alarm anyone."

Glancing over to Aoshi-sama, I asked, "You helped them cover it up, didn't you?"

"Shinomori has helped in his own ways, Weasel," Saitoh answered for him. "Now if I may continue?" Nodding for him to go on, I glared at him. "We traced Daidouji to here in Kobe. Once I received this information, Shinomori here insisted that he be the one to do the reconnaissance work for this."

Blinking, I asked, "Why's that?"

"Because," the cold voice from behind me made me turn. Aoshi-sama was looking at the floor, his bangs hanging low over his eyes. "Daidouji once worked for Kanryuu."

"Takeda Kanryuu?" my voice croaked. The murderer of our friends.

Saitoh nodded, "Yes. Daidouji was the weapons supplier to him. Unfortunately for those in the Oniwabanshu, Daidouji knows about what happened to Kanryuu when he was attacked in Tokyo. The Oniwabanshu are not in his favor."

"Which is why Aoshi-sama and I am are now involved," I assumed.

"Daidouji knew about Shinomori. He'd never specifically _met_ him, but Daidouji has his own sources. He knew about Shinomori's former position and now knows that the former Okashira is now in Kobe." He paused, raising an eyebrow to Aoshi-sama. "You, however Weasel, Daidouji didn't know about. Until last night."

"The restaurant..." I muttered, my face flushing brightly.

Another nod. "You caught on quicker than I expected, Weasel. Our sources tell me that he saw the both of you in the restaurant," he raised up a piece of paper, the report no doubt. Mockingly, he added, "Kissing."

"I can explain that-" I started.

"Now Daidouji is wondering who on earth would Shinomori Aoshi be kissing," Saitoh continued, ignoring me. "And he will probably find out very soon."

Aoshi-sama joined the conversation again, "I was trying to not draw attention to the fact that Misao had arrived here in Kobe with me." His eyes darted towards me, "If he knew that she was the Okashira-"

"Trust me, Shinomori-" Saitoh chuckled, "Even if Daidouji finds out that Weasel here is who she is, _no one_ is going to believe it." He paused, his smile growing wider, "That is, if the precious Okashira can keep her nose out of it."

"Look here, Saitoh!" I stomped over to his desk, "I won't just stand here and be insulted like a- a-" Anger was coursing through my blood so quickly that I couldn't even think of the word that I wanted to use.

"Keep going, girl, you're _scaring_ me," Saitoh said, amused with my display.

Grimacing, I spat at him and folded my arms against my chest. "Damn you, Saitoh."

" _Enough_ ," Aoshi-sama hissed. "You asked me to meet with you this evening, Saitoh, and here I am. But I will not just stand here idly as you insult my methods."

Another smile. "But you just did."

"What did you want, Saitoh?"

The bow to his uniform brushed against my arm as he slammed his hands against wood. Aoshi-sama was now leaning on Saitoh's desk, his face only inches away from the bastard policeman's. The air instantly became tense. The other officers had all paused in what they were doing to watch the show. Their faces were nervous. Apparently, they had all seen Saitoh get mad-- and Aoshi-sama was just asking for it.

However, Saitoh remained calm. "I want you and the Weasel to leave Kobe now." Aoshi-sama hung his head as he let out an exasperated sigh. "You two are causing trouble that might ruin this entire operation," he continued. "I'm not going to just sit here and watch you two ruin years of work over some stupid grudge you still hold against Takeda Kanryuu." His voice remained calm, but by looking at Saitoh's face, you could tell he was becoming impatient.

"I am not leaving," Aoshi-sama muttered, his head still low.

Saitoh puffed smoke into Aoshi-sama's face. "Then if you won't leave, get _her_ out of here. She's distracting you and you know it." Aoshi-sama remained silent. "You are constantly letting her safety cloud your thoughts. Honestly, you're almost as bad as the Battousai."

Snorting loudly, I finally chimed in, "I'm not leaving either, Saitoh. So suck it."

"Oh, I'm sure Shinomori takes care of that," he snidely remarked.

But before I could beat Saitoh to death, Aoshi-sama grabbed my hand and said, "We are leaving, Misao."

"Yes, get out of here before he can't control his libido any further," Saitoh made a shoo-ing motion to us. "Out, out."

We both glared at him before we made our way to the door.

"Take heed of what I said, Shinomori," he called before I slammed the door behind me.

We walked through the streets in silence. By now the restaurants were in full swing with the nightly business. Lights reflected off of the bay, just like they had the night before. But the sight was no longer as breathtaking. It just made my fury worse. Stomping my feet as we walked, all I could let out where incomprehensible mutterings, " _That man-- oh I'm going to-- of all the--_ "

It wasn't until just before reaching Asahikari did I take any notice to Aoshi-sama. Turning around, I found that he was in silent reflection. His eyes were lowered, watching the ground instead of what was in front of him. Thinking.

Raising my eyebrow, I asked, "You aren't going to listen to that jerk are you, Aoshi-sama? I mean, I'm not distracting-"

I froze. Yes I was. That's all I was doing, was distracting. The yukata, the kiss, the close call, everything was me distracting him. And he kept on trying to warn me... but I wouldn't listen.

Aoshi-sama was silent. 

Swallowing hard, I meekly asked, "You don't... want me to leave... do you, Aoshi-sama?"

More silence. I couldn't take this much longer. My nerves couldn't handle the anxiety churning inside of me. Breathing heavily, I walked over to him, raising myself on my tiptoes, signaling that I wanted him to kiss me. "Aoshi-sama?"

"Yes, Misao," he said blandly. "I want you to leave."


	7. Giving In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I can't take this anymore."

Throwing the sack that I had brought my clothes in, I furiously threw the few unpacked things I brought into it. But I wasn't crying. Aoshi-sama had told me to leave. I had been distracting him from the mission, hurting it more than helping it. But I wasn't crying. I had been made out as a fool at Saitoh's office, had my heart ripped out by Aoshi-sama. But damn it, I wasn't crying.

Tears streamed down my face silently as I threw up my filled bag into a corner. The more I denied that I was crying, the more tears came pouring out of my eyes. I wanted to leave now. Staying in places where I was not welcome was not one of my favorite things to do. But the night was too old. There would be no trains to Kyoto now, and Aoshi-sama wouldn't let me travel any other way. He ignored the fact that I traveled all around Japan just a few years ago, looking for him. The few days trip back to Kyoto would be easy. At least the air outside wouldn't be near as suffocating as it was in our room.

Minutes after I had slammed into our room, Aoshi-sama had come in. Instead of saying anything, which would have been completely out of his character to do, he sat down on the porch, and watched the night sky. The large sheath containing his two kodachi was on his lap, ready to draw his blades just in case we were attacked. He completely ignored me, which made matters worse. Trying to hold in the oncoming sobs, I curled up in a ball on my futon and fell into an uneasy sleep.

I awoke to find a blanket placed on top of me. Still groggy, I opened one eye and saw that it was very early in the morning. The sun had just begun to rise from the horizon. I let out a loud moan. Still, it was too early to be awake. The train wouldn't be arriving for a few hours yet. Dazed, I sat straight up and looked around the room. Aoshi-sama had fallen asleep on the other side of the room, near where the door was. Had he been... trying to protect me? I tiptoed over to where he was sleeping, still upset by what he had said to me last night.

_"I want you to leave."_

I had done exactly what I had said I would not do. I had interfered. No matter how much I tried not to, I got sucked in. After all, it was partially his fault, too. It was his idea to pretend that we were married. He had brought the distraction amongst himself.

Like a slumbering child, Aoshi-sama looked as innocent as I could remember him. Black strands of his long bangs sprinkled his face as he breathed through his mouth. It was hard to imagine the man before me as the cold Okashira that I knew he could be.

The last thing that I wanted to do was leave. Despite the fact that I was being driven mad by most of the things he said to me, I didn't want to be away from Aoshi-sama again either. Who knew how long the mission would take. Or, maybe something would happen to him while I wasn't here, and I would never know. He could be killed and I wouldn't know. Before I realized it, tears were streaming down my face again. I couldn't breathe. Silently crying, I leaned over him, lightly tracing my fingers over his profile.

I should have known better to touch him. Because of his early warrior days, Aoshi-sama was probably the second lightest sleeper ever-- second only to Himura. His eyes shot open for a moment, his hands moving for his kodachi. Until he saw me. He froze. Tears leaked onto his face as I tried to hide them. The more I tried to hide the fact that I was crying, the more the tears came. "Misao?" he muttered.

" _Oh Aoshi-sama!_ " I cried, burying my face in his blanketed chest. His body stiffened in surprise, but then eased slightly. Perhaps he wasn't ready for that? Well, considering his arms were still frozen in mid air, I'd have to say yes. " _I'm-sorry-I-caused-you-trouble-and-I'm-such-a-blubbering-idiot-but-I-don't-want-to-go-back-to-the-Aoiya-I-want-to-stay-with-you!_ " I blurted out, my sobs making it even harder to understand what I was saying.

His eyes were softer than before. Slowly he lowered his arms, wrapping them lightly around my body. He stared at my broken state for a moment, and then said, "I do not want you to leave either, Misao."

"But you said-"

"But you _need_ to leave," he added quickly. "If what Saitoh said was true, then it is possible that you are in danger."

The sobbing stopped. "Why's that?" I asked, finding my spine somewhere.

"Remember how I told you that Daidouji worked for Kanryuu?"

I nodded. "You told me that Daidouji was the weapons supplier for him."

"Well," he let out a small sigh. "As Saitoh said, Daidouji is not happy with the Oniwabanshu, or Himura, for that matter-- as we ended a very profitable outlet for him. There have been threats against the both of us, and if word were to get out that you were the Okashira..."

Swallowing the lump that formed in my throat, I asked, "Does Himura know about all this?"

"I have informed him of the situation," he said, nodding. "I wrote a letter to him. Saitoh wanted Himura to come join in on this 'mission' but Kaoru would have none of it."

"Kaoru-san was smart." Looking up to him, I frowned, "If I had known about this, I wouldn't have let you either."

"Kaoru is Himura's wife, Misao," he retorted, almost smiling in amusement. "You are not my wife."

"No, I'm not." Taking a deep breath in, I muttered, "But I want to be."

The moment of silence returned to our room as Aoshi-sama stared at me with his unsure eyes. He shifted where he was laying on the futon, took his right hand off of me and lifted up his blanket. "Come here," he whispered.

How could one deny such a request? Quickly, I got off his chest, wedged myself in the blanket, close to his warm body. My eyelids fluttered with delight. My tears were forgotten, and now all I could think of was the warmth coming from his body.

Moving his body closer to mine, Aoshi-sama's mouth found its way to my ear. "I know you are concerned about my safety, Misao-- but you should be considering your own." Shifting his head up, he brought his nose up to the top of my head and breathed in deeply. "Consider that I too worry."

"About me?" I asked.

"Amongst other things."

All of this was very strange. Welcomed, but strange. Aoshi-sama openly admitting that he was worried; inviting me to lie next to him; _breathing my scent_. Something was very wrong. "Are you all right, Aoshi-sama?" I asked wryly. Perhaps this was another one of his ploys. It was surprising to me how suspicious I now was of him. But could you blame me?

"I suppose my actions have been a little peculiar," he said, pulling away from me. Sitting up, he pushed the blanket off the both of us. Staring at me, he remained silent for a few seconds. He then took a sharp breath and added, "I have just been thinking about what Saitoh had said earlier."

"About me being a distraction?" I blinked, slightly wounded that he brought up this subject again. "We've already been through that, Aoshi-sama. Remember? I'm leaving." Narrowing my eyes, I sat up as well, "Don't tell me you're becoming forgetful already, Aoshi-sama. You aren't _that_ old."

"That is not what I--"

"I mean," I continued to blab, "Sure you mumble to yourself. And you _do_ have a few gray hairs already-- but really, Aoshi-sama, you're only thirty-one and-"

Clearly frowning, Aoshi-sama interrupted me, saying, "Misao." I cut off my train of thought and blinked again. "That is not what I was talking about."

"Then what _are_ you talking about?" I shifted my legs, sitting my bottom on top of them to show him he had my full attention.

"My choice to bring you along on this mission." He lowered his head in thought. Then, he shifted again, looking out the window to the rising sun, and not at me. "And the more I think about it, the more I question my own motives." I wanted to encourage him to tell me, that I wouldn't be mad at him. But I really couldn't promise that with a clear conscience. Knowing Aoshi-sama's complete lack of tact, I would probably become very angry with him. So, I remained quiet, trying to make eye contact. "I thought I brought you along because you ordered it," he started, still not looking at me. His bangs swung back and forth in front of his eyes as he did so. Even so early in the morning he managed to be far too attractive. "But you said it before-- if I really did not want you to come, I would have made sure you could not.

"But the question pestered me. Why? So when you speak of wanting to keep myself safe-- I understood. I let you come because I was afraid something would happen to you while I was gone. An attack by Daidouji, or otherwise-- I would have never have been able to forgive myself for my lack of foresight. Yet here is unsafe as well. Not only are you in danger of attacks by Daidouji here, but you are--" he paused, finally meeting me in the eyes. "You are exposed to- to-" He looked away again, hiding his face from me. Pushing his hand up against his face, he let out an exasperated sigh. "I cannot take this anymore." 

"Aoshi-sama?" I asked, crawling over to him. Putting my hand on his shoulder, I tried to get him to look at me again.

With a quick jerk, he pushed me off of him, almost tumbling onto the floor. "Stop touching me!" His eyes flashed, "Do you not understand, Misao? _I am_ the danger." As he spoke, his voice trembled with more emotion I had ever seen him have. "Because I desire you, I am putting you in danger. That is why you have to go back the Aoi-ya. If this goes... any further..."

My eyes narrowed at him. I took a deep breath in before beginning to scream, "This was all your IDEA, Aoshi-sama. It was _your_ plan to act as though we were married! It's not my fault you didn't have the foresight to realize that this was going to happen!" Leaning towards him, I continued to yell, "You knew how I felt about you, Aoshi-sama. And if you didn't know, then you're more stupid then you look!"

"I am not stupid," he protested, glaring at me.

The serious tension had snapped in half. A grin broke out on my face, "You could have fooled me. Letting what Saitoh said to you get you like this... it's just not you."

Closing his eyes, he let out a quiet sigh. "Well, I have not really been feeling like _myself_ lately." Now that his guard was down, I slinked over to him, wrapping my arm around his. Eyes flashing open, he added briskly, "And you are not helping."

"Awwww...." I pouted, wrapping my arm tighter around his. "But I like the married Aoshi-sama. So much more manageable."

"Manageable and hindering this mission," he replied quietly. "It is my fault that Daidouji knows you are here with me."

Shrugging it off, I scoffed, "But he doesn't know who I am. For all he knows, I was just a nightly whore."

"No," Aoshi-sama shook his head. "Daidouji would have followed through with an investigation. Chances are he now thinks that you are my wife."

"Better than knowing I'm the Okashira."

"Is it?" he asked. The air tensed around us. It hadn't occurred to me that Daidouji might actually use the fact that I was Aoshi-sama's "wife" to get to him. Shit, why didn't I think of that to begin with? Nodding, Aoshi-sama understood that our situation was finally dawning on me, "Now you understand my concern."

I let go of his arm and walked over to the porch opening. My arms crossed against my chest, I swore loudly. Clenching my teeth I said, "I don't give a damn on whether he uses me as bait. As long as you are safe, that's all that matters to me."

"You will not be used as bait," he retorted forcefully. He too walked over to the porch, looming over me with his angry ki. "He will simply kill you to anger me. Trying to get even with me for shutting down his business." Putting his large hands on my shoulders, he said, "Is that what you want, Misao? To throw your life away for some vendetta?"

"If it saves yours, then yes," I replied, finding hidden courage deep inside of me. Probably hiding in my toes. "Keeping you alive is all that matters to me, Aoshi-sama."

The grip on my shoulders tightened. Wincing in pain, the only thing I could do was look at his hands. They were shaking frantically. "My life is not worth-"

"Life wouldn't be enjoyable for me without you here," I interjected, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him down towards me. Forcing my lips on him, my tongue dove deep into his mouth, feeling everything. If I could, I would have swallowed him whole right there. To be so insecure about his life... to put his before mine. Was there anyway I could love him more? Even without trying, he became more of a man to me. No, he wasn't perfect. Time had taught me that lesson-- but I still loved him. Not the memory of Aoshi-sama, but the real man. And it was times like these I fully understood why.

He pulled away from the kiss, his eyes wild. I had crossed the line again. His restraint was failing. "Stop this Misao..."

"Why?"

"Because if we do not, I do not think we ever will." he said, trying to pull away.

My grasp around him tightened. The only thing running through my mind at that moment was to not let him go. If he left this time... then that would be it. There would be no second chances. Bringing myself up to the range of being kissed, I whispered, "I don't want it to." And with that, I pulled him into another deep kiss.

  



	8. Crossing the Line (Lemon #1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "But I like the married Aoshi-sama. So much more manageable."

Putting his large hands on my shoulders, he said, "Is that what you want, Misao? To throw your life away for some vendetta?"

"If it saves yours, then yes," I replied, finding hidden courage deep inside of me. Probably hiding in my toes. "Keeping you alive is all that matters to me, Aoshi-sama."

The grip on my shoulders tightened. Wincing in pain, the only thing I could do was look at his hands. They were shaking frantically. "My life is not worth-"

"Life wouldn't be enjoyable for me without you here," I interjected, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him down towards me. Forcing my lips on him, my tongue dove deep into his mouth, feeling everything. If I could, I would have swallowed him whole right there. To be so insecure about his life... to put his before mine. Was there anyway I could love him more? Even without trying, he became more of a man to me. No, he wasn't perfect. Time had taught me that lesson-- but I still loved him. Not the memory of Aoshi-sama, but the real man. And it was times like these I fully understood why.

He pulled away from the kiss, his eyes wild. I had crossed the line again. His restraint was failing. "Stop this Misao..."

"Why?"

"Because if we do not, I do not think we ever will." he said, trying to pull away.

My grasp around him tightened. The only thing running through my mind at that moment was to not let him go. If he left this time... then that would be it. There would be no second chances. Bringing myself up to the range of being kissed, I whispered, "I don't want to." And with that, I pulled him into another deep kiss.

Of course, at that moment I wasn't really sure why I had said that. After all, I was trying _not_ to distract him from the mission at hand-- but here I was again, being distracting. But he tasted so good... I wanted this forever. It would be nice to have Aoshi-sama by me from then on... always. And I could help heal the pain he had locked away, I knew I could. Just the last two days had helped him so much. He was finally giving in. And I was what he desired. Me. And it was me he cared for. Me.

My childhood fantasies were beginning to come true, and I loved every moment of it.

He pulled away for a second time, looking like a broken man. Not in a bad sense, but in his eyes there was something different. Like something inside just snapped. My stomach tightened as he looked me in the eyes. "Please..." he was almost pleading. But I could tell he wanted it as much as I did. But his conscience was eating him inside.

So I gave him a choice.

Putting one of the strands of the tie at my waist in his hand, I closed his fingers around it. "You have two choices, Aoshi-sama. You can pull this, and we can start from where we were yesterday. Or you can do nothing, and I will leave via the train, quietly. And this will never be mentioned again." Closing my eyes tightly, I pleaded _Please let him pull the tie... I don't think I could live normally without you touching me, Aoshi-sama..._

Everything was so silent. All I could hear was my heartbeat, pounding hard against my ear. No birds. No street vendors. Aoshi wasn't moving. But I wasn't upset... I couldn't be... he had made his choice.

But just as I was about to turn away, he brought me in with his free and pushed his mouth against mine. Slowly he pulled away and looked into my eyes eyes. "Such a passionate kiss is a terrible thing to waste..." he said as he gently traced my lips with his callused thumb.

Pulling me in again, this time he forced his tongue into my mouth. I let out a low moan. While probing my mouth, he slowly pulled the tie in his hand. I could feel my gi gape open. The morning air was so cold. My nipples became hard immediately. Pushing back, I gasped for air. "Not..." I inhaled deeply, "Fair..."

Raising an eyebrow, Aoshi-sama retorted, "And seducing me is?"

"Point taken."

He drew me in close to his body, tracing his hands down the base of my neck to my arms. My gi fell to the floor. He placed his lips right where his hands had been teasing. "Are you sure you want this, Misao?"

"Do me a favor," I said, pulling the tie to his sleeping yukata. My hands furiously buried themselves underneath the robe, searching for his shoulders. Kissing his chest as high as I possibly could, I finished a little breathless, "Don't _ever_ ask me that again."

"As you wish," he said, cupping his giant hand around my face. "But I do think it would be wise we move back inside before we both regret being captured in the heat of the moment."

A smirk formed on my lips, "Oh, shy now, are we?"

"We could..." he visibly swallowed, "Do this outside... but I would rather keep you all to myself."

" _Do this outside_?" I made a face as I repeated what he had said in a mocking tone. "You make it seem like it's painful."

"Not yet," he replied softly. With one swift motion of his arm, I was being carried a few feet back into our room. Slowly, he lowered me to the floor. His robe flapped as he did so. That brief flash told me that he was ready for me.

Starting from my belly button, Aoshi-sama began to trace up my body with soft kisses, a low moan bubbling out from within me each time he did so. My body was beginning to throb again, just like it had before. It was a sensation that was not normal for me. But I knew what it meant, somehow I knew. I wanted Aoshi-sama. And it wasn't the normal want. It was a sort of an animalistic sense. Was this what Aoshi-sama meant when he said he desired me? And now his tongue was running over my stomach, teasing me with soft, sensual licks. My knuckles strained to white as I tightly held the bedding below me with my clenched fists. I suppose he wasn't joking when he said that women usually threw themselves at him. Doing things like this, I could understand why.

The throbbing had become more fevered now. My whole lower body was pounding in anticipation. His fingers slid down to the bottoms that I was wearing. Slowly, leaving imprints of his callused fingers on my legs, he slid off them off. And suddenly I was completely naked, lying before him. Aoshi-sama paused above me, looking at me as if he were unsure. His eyes were wide, and sweat was already coming from his brow. I blinked, "What is it?"

But he didn't say anything. He just stared down at me with his intense eyes, as if he were trying to process all of this. Arching my back off of the bedding, I met his lips with mine in an innocent kiss. Then raising my lips to his ear, I whispered, "Don't doubt that I want this, Aoshi-sama. I want you."

"I do not want to hurt you," his whispered back in my ear.

That was the absolute wrong thing to say to me at that moment. I bit his ear. Not hard, but enough to get my point across. If he said anything like that again, _I_ was going to hurt _him_. "Shut up," I pulled him into a fierce kiss once more. I was sure there would be bruising later. As we kissed, my hands fumbled to get the rest of Aoshi-sama's robe off. Between our fevered moaning, I felt the cotton fabric crumple to the floor.

Aoshi-sama pulled away, completely naked. My breath got caught in my throat. The scars scattering his chest suddenly looked so... wonderful. For the second time, he froze. He was uncomfortable. Perhaps he thought his scars were horrifying? Only the history behind them. I wanted to trace my fingers against every single one. Show him that I loved the scratches in his otherwise perfect physique. And I did. But then touching them wasn't enough. Lifting my face up to his chest, I rolled my tongue over each of them, slowly. Aoshi-sama moaned softly each time I did so.

Not being able to take it any longer, he busied my mouth with another deep kiss. As he did so, his fingers begun to tease themselves down to my upper thighs. Kneading his fingers through my flesh, he found one spot that shot a loud scream out of me. Moving down my neck with kisses, he touched me there again. I cried out once more. I saw a smirk form around the edges of his lips. He was playing with me. And what could I say? I wanted it.

My body was soaked in sweat by this time. Both of us were, actually. And I was panting for air. We were both ninja, but my energy lasted for only so long. Aoshi-sama must have sensed that I was already becoming tired, as his hand stopped kneading my skin, and instead began to move up a little bit. He lightly traced the folds of my skin. And there, he stopped. He looked at me, a small bead of sweat dripping down the bridge of his nose onto my face, and asked, "Are you sure?"

As much as I wanted to yell at him at that moment, I held back. Even if I didn't, I couldn't have yelled. It took me three attempts to try and tell him yes. In the end all I could manage was a small nod.

It was slow at first. Just a finger. I was becoming wet. Playfully, he brought it in and out. I whimpered as he was doing so, as it was driving me mad. No one had ever touched me there before. He then took his free hand and traced my jaw with one finger. Wistfully looking at me, his face covered it sweat, it was like he didn't have a care in the word. There was something else coming. I was not experienced in this sort of thing, but Omasu-san and Okon-san had told me quite enough. 

I let out a voice-less scream as he thrust his way inside of me. My vision became blurred. Tears? I wasn't sure what I had been expecting-- but I hadn't been anticipating pain. And as he pushed further, deeper, the pain increased. Lovemaking was not all hearts and roses, that was for sure. But the pain wasn't a bad, getting stabbed in the lower intestine pain. No, the pain was almost pleasureful. And it was beginning to build up inside of me.

With each thrust, a moan came from my mouth. I really couldn't stop it, and I hated myself for it. It sounded so primitive. Trying to stop the moans, I pushed my mouth against his, hard. If there weren't any bruises from before, there would be now. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he continued to pump. But even they couldn't last very long. And just as I thought I had become exhausted, a wave of pleasure came over me. Everything inside of me was throbbing. Aoshi-sama slid his mouth over to my ear, and began to whisper soft things into my ear. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but his harsh breaths vibrated against my ears, tickling them. I resisted the urge to giggle. But then he began to thrust in and out again, and once more I cried out.

Aoshi-sama's moans matched the level of my own. He had peaked as well. His sweat dripped off of his body, onto my own. He looked so very tired now.

Slowly he pulled out, bringing me close next to him. My entire body was trembling. He lightly caressed my arm back and forth, once again whispering things to me. I was busy trying to catch my breath. Finally, when my heart had stopped pounding in my ear, I lightly kissed him on the lips. A smile formed ever so slightly on my sweat-covered mouth. "I love you, Aoshi."

He kissed me on the forehead, held me in close, but did not reply.


	9. A Wolf Protecting His Sheep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "A murder in broad daylight... tsk, tsk, you weren't thinking, were you?"

For the second time that morning, I awoke to the sun's rays pouring down on my face. Now they were bursting through the opened porch door. Forgot to close it in the rush, I assume. Unlike earlier, I did not find dried tears stuck to myself, but dried sweat. And one of my arms holding myself close to a strong body. A blush instantly formed on my face. It was Aoshi-sama. Suddenly everything came back to me in a blink. His rough hands tracing themselves over every inch of my body. Instantly, I had chills again. We had both finally given in. Aoshi-sama and I had... I didn't even have the right to call him Aoshi-sama anymore after that. He was... we were...

The sun looked as if it had been only up for a few hours. I didn't even remember falling back asleep, really. Inhaling deeply and getting a waif of his scent made any concerns I had quickly disappear. I nuzzled my head against his chest like a cat. He stirred. "You're awake." It was a statement, and not a question.

I maneuvered my head to look up at him, a smile on my face. "Good morning," I paused almost forcing myself not to call him by his title, "Aoshi." Crawling towards his face, I pushed my lips against his before he could notice that I didn't tack on my staple _-sama_ suffix.

Surprisingly, he pulled away from the kiss, his eyes shut. "We have to get you on that train, Misao."

And so died my good mood. Never fails in killing happiness, that Aoshi. I instantly pulled away from him, sitting up. I was still naked, and for the first time that morning, I was feeling exposed. I suddenly didn't want to be naked with Aoshi like that. Groping for the mofu that covered him still, I pulled it up against my chest, looking away from the bare chest of Aoshi, which had hypnotized me only hours earlier.

However, there was a tug on the blanket. "That's the blanket, Misao."

"Yes it is, Aoshi," I mimicked, giving the blanket another pull. "And if you want me to get dressed, I suppose you let me take it or we can both sit here and miss the train."

"And what should I use to keep myself decent?"

Scowling, I retorted, "Use the shikifu or the taoruketto--" I began to tug on the blanket with all of my might, "Just let go of the mofu!"

He raised an eyebrow, "If you did not notice this morning, Misao, I really did not have time to bother with all of the bedding--" He nodded to the corner where everything but the futon we were sleeping on and the blanket I was holding was very well folded in a neat pile.

"Fine!" I steamed, dropping the blanket. "Fine, I'll just walk around naked then. Its not like it's nothing you haven't seen already." My voice was filled with bitterness and was just plain childish. But I didn't care at that point. It seemed as if it were Aoshi's job this morning to make me go homicidal-- because I was only steps away from killing him. Might as well give in. And to think that I shared the same bed with that man!

I felt the blanket edge be placed back into my hand. Looking at Aoshi, I blinked. "I am sorry-- I did not think about your situation," he said, completely sincere-- or as sincere as Aoshi can be.

I blinked again. "Are you sure?"

Nodding, he turned over to have his backside facing up. So I got to look at his wonderful butt instead? How was that supposed to be any less distracting? But I wasn't about to argue. I got the blanket, and I wasn't letting go now. Quickly I covered everything vital up and stalked over to where my clothes had been thrown earlier. They were wrinkled, but who cared? Being naked is so much worse than wearing something that had been crumpled for a few hours. I groped for my uniform as I maneuvered the blanket around the floor, trying not to slip. It's funny how shy I was after what had happened. So I turned to face him... and his backside, looking all yummy with those imperfect scars. Slowly walking over, I lowered the blanket on top of his lower body. My hands then traced the spine of his bare back. He shivered at my touch, letting out a strange mix between a moan and a sigh. Suddenly I wanted to be naked again, in his arms...

Closing my eyes, I leaned my head against his back. "Were you awake when I told you that I loved you?" _Because you didn't respond_ , I added silently.

He stood up, the blanket magically covering everything that needed to be covered. He must have had a lot of practice-- it was the only explanation. "Make sure you have everything packed."

"Aoshi?" I called, a little worried. He wasn't answering my questions, so something must have been bothering him.

He paused in mid motion of pulling his gi on. There was almost a frightened look on his face. Closing his eyes, he put the rest of his clothes on, turning away from me. "Remember what I said last night, Misao? About you distracting me?"

"Yes."

"You are doing it right now," he answered as-a-matter-of-fact-ly.

Blinking, I asked, "I am? All I said was your name, Aoshi."

Sighing softly, he shook his head, "Nevermind." Fully clothed, and ready to go, he nodded towards the door, "Come on. Let us go."

To say that I moved slowly would be an understatement. At a crawling pace, I picked up my bag and followed Aoshi out of the room. As we walked down the hallway of the resort, Maiko-san passed us, a huge smile on her face. Apparently she had heard what she had wanted to hear this morning. I wouldn't have been surprised if she had had her ear up against the shoji door while we were making love. She gave me a wink before asking, "Going out for a walk, Shinomori-san?"

"No," Aoshi replied. "The train station."

Now seeing my bag in my hand, Maiko-san blinked, "Are you checking out today?"

"No," Aoshi repeated.

Now the poor woman didn't know what to think. Raising an eyebrow, she looked at me as if she expected me to explain what was going on. The smile was long gone now. I shook my head no, silently telling her I couldn't say anything. We both sensed the uneasy aura coming from Aoshi. Faking a smile now, she nodded to the both of us and said, "Well, take care. I suppose I shall see you both later."

Before I could tell her that she wouldn't be seeing me anymore, Aoshi began to walk once more. Bowing apologetically at Maiko-san, I raced after him. He was walking at that damned fast pace again. He knew that I couldn't keep up with it, but that didn't stop him.

And so that was the game we played all the way to the train station. Aoshi was the silent statue racing at inhuman speed, while I tried to keep up with him, shouting at him to slow down. It must have been quite a sight to a passer-by. I supposed that our little covert operation was now over... because this was not the way to stay undercover. We probably would have been a good target for an attack, as I wasn't paying attention to what was around me, and Aoshi looked as if he was shutting everything out.

The train station was bustling with customers. It surprised me to see so many people there in the morning. Aoshi grabbed my hand and yanked me over to an unoccupied corner. "Stay here," he ordered flatly. As he walked away, I stuck my tongue out at him, like any mature adult would. At least I would be escaping the newly developed Prince Ice in going to Kyoto. I wasn't sure of how much more I could take of him being so cruel and distant to me.

It took him only mere seconds to buy a ticket. I still wondered where exactly the money was coming from, but since he wasn't exactly talking to me, it would have been pointless to ask. Wordlessly, he handed me my ticket. Snatching it from his hand, I gave him an evil scowl. "Is this how you wanted it to be?" I steamed, putting my hands on my hips. "Because this isn't making me happy at all, in case you were wondering."

"Nothing does," he replied coldly.

My face fell. Quietly looking down at the wood planks of the station, I admitted, "I was happy last night." Of course, Aoshi didn't say a word. "Did I-" I paused, my voice growing very meek, "Not satisfy you?"

"That is not it, Misao," he said, looking away. He was locking me out again. I wanted to scream at him for doing it, too.

Side-stepping into his view, so he had to look at me, I demanded, "So what _is_ it? I can't take this anymore! The way you're acting is like we did something wrong."

"We did do something wrong," he argued, his eyes flashing with a shadow of the passion from earlier in the morning.

My eyes narrowed, "No, we didn't. What we did-- it might not have been the right time, but never wrong, Aoshi. Never wrong."

He looked at me in annoyance, "Stop that."

"Stop what?" A crowd was beginning to watch us, uncertain of what to do. It wasn't often that a woman argued with a man in public.

Looking to the side, he struggled to try to think of what to say, "My name-"

Nodding, I replied, "Can I not call you by your name any longer?"

More looks to the side. Now he wasn't making any sort of eye contact with me. "But you-"

Blinking, a small smile came to my face. "Don’t say Aoshi- _sama_?" I took another side step so I could be in his vision and then took a step towards his body. "I didn't think it was appropriate to any longer. Besides, I thought you found it annoying."

"I do." He paused, and then corrected himself, "I did." He looked down into my eyes. No matter how long I looked into those blue orbs, I would always get lost in their endless depths. Raising myself on my tiptoes, I closed my eyes, silently begging him to kiss me just once more.

"You know what _I_ find annoying-" a third voice said. Aoshi and myself both turned to my right, from which the voice came from. There a group of seven men stood, six wearing worn yukata. Some had patches sewn on to help the problem of holes, others didn't even bother, the gigantic holes in their cloth exposing their legs. All of the men had stains of dirt and blood all over-- on their skin and clothes. I think it was a safe assumption that they were bad guys. The man that appeared to be their leader was the exact opposite. He wore an immaculate white gaijin suit, with a light blue haori on top. His black hair was slicked back with so much grease, that his hair reflected the sunlight. With a cigar in his right hand, smoking, he reminded me of a warped Saitoh. "I hate it when lovers quarrel over such mundane shit in public. How about you boys?" The lackeys cackled in agreement.

"Daidouji," Aoshi growled from behind his clenched teeth.

The leader, who I could only assume was Daidouji, smiled curtly. "Shinomori. How smashing it is to see you face to face. And this must be your charming wife-- Misao, was it?" Aoshi's eyes narrowed as he readied his hands to draw his weapons. He was wearing his back sheathe, but I knew he wouldn't expose the steel unless he had to. "Yes," Daidouji continued, eyeing me ever so closely, "I can see why you chose her, Shinomori. So young and," wriggling his eyebrows, he added, "Agile."

"What do you want, Daidouji?" Aoshi barked. Smelling a fight coming on, I readied my guard as well.

Daidouji took a puff from his cigar. "You know, I'll be honest with you: As soon as I found out that you were in Kobe, well, I decided I had to thank you for what you did to my company by doing the same favor that you did to my poor friend Kanryuu. But after I saw you and your woman in that restaurant two nights ago, I changed my mind." He took a step towards me, an evil grin on his face. He cupped my face in his large hand. I could feel the rough texture of his dry hand scrape across my face as he caressed my cheek with his thumb. I stayed very still, trying to hold in my screams of protest in fear of what the other six lackeys might do if I pushed their boss down to the ground and broke his nasty hand. "I'm going to kill her, instead-" he said in a delightful voice, "-and let you watch. Then we shall be even, Shinomori."

And suddenly there was a gun in his other hand. The barrel pushing into my ribcage. I was willing to bet that getting shot there would not be a very delightful experience. My initial ninja reaction was to get the hell out of there, but the gun range was so close, I was too scared to move. My eyes darted to Aoshi, panicked. Daidouji was really going to kill me, right here, right now.

"I didn't think you would be that stupid, Daidouji," a fourth voice said. This time, from my left. There Saitoh stood, looking as cocky as ever, his katana unsheathed, and in his left hand. In his right was a cigarette. He brought it up his mouth and let a puff of smoke out from his noise.

To be honest, I was damn glad to see him. My face lit up as I shouted a very happy (and relived) "Saitoh!" Aoshi used Daidouji's distraction to pull me protectively behind him.

"A murder in broad daylight... tsk, tsk, you weren't thinking, were you?" He tilted his head to the side patronizingly and added, "But then again, you never had much in the way of brain power, Daidouji."

"And yet I have alluded you for all of this time, Captain," he replied with a smile on his lips.

"Have you?" Saitoh matched the grin on Daidouji's face. "Or maybe you just thought you had. As I said, Daidouji, you are lacking in the intelligence department. If your lackeys and you did not detect the police involvement whatsoever, I have even less faith in you than I did before. Which, believe me, wasn't much."

Aoshi was now standing in front of me in a very protective manner. His eyes were locked on Daidouji, waiting for him to make the first move. Daidouji spat, "Ah the police and their fantastic wit." He looked to Aoshi, annoyed, "I really do wish parties who are not involved would keep their noses out of my business."

"You are contradicting yourself, Daidouji," Aoshi said, his eyes narrowed still. "If you do not want outside interference, then leave Misao alone."

He smiled then, his fat cigar sticking out of his thin cracked lips. "Oh, she is as much as a part of you as you are a part of her. Believe me, I heard the both of you scream it many times this morning." I blinked as Aoshi stepped back closer to me. Cackling Daidouji winked at the two of us and commented, "I just had to see if the rumor of your wedlock was true."

"Pervert," I spat, my face turning bright pink.

The bastard shrugged, "Only trying to make sure that my information was correct. I didn't want to go killing some useless whore that wouldn't have the effect I wanted to."

"That is enough," Aoshi snapped. From behind the entire scene, a train pulled up to the station, its loud brakes ringing in my ears. The smoke from the engine encircled our little "group".

Nodding, Saitoh gave his blade a small swing. "Indeed, Shinomori. The time for talking is over. So Daidouji, do you plan to let this _couple_ go on their way-- or do we have to ruin this platform with stains of your blood?"

Daidouji snarled at Saitoh and us. Kneeling his head down slightly, Aoshi whispered to me, "Get on the train."

"But-" I looked to Daidouji again. The gun was still out, pointed at the both of us. He did not look very pleased with this situation.

"Just go!" he shouted. 

On the word "go", two things happened. One, I made a break for the train, keeping a watch in my peripheral vision on what was happening to the side of me. Second, one of Daidouji’s men rushed Aoshi. However, Aoshi had been expecting that and already had his kodachi ready. Blocking the initial strike from above, Aoshi pushed the katana away and swiped his sword in the mid-region of the lackey's abdomen. Of course, he dodged the attack, his guard ready for anything that Aoshi was throwing at him. Meanwhile, Daidouji's other men stood clueless watching the two men fight. Motioning with his gun, Daidouji shouted, "What are the rest of you waiting for? Get them!"

My feet had reached the steps of the train, but I refused to climb on. Now it was one against seven, as I didn't see Saitoh doing anything. However, as soon as Daidouji's lackeys rushed Aoshi, Saitoh was there, in front of him. His blade reflected the sun in my eyes as he slashed at the forerunner attacking Saitoh. "Get on the train, you idiot!" Saitoh shouted.

Looking confused, Aoshi blinked at the policeman. "I thought-" he blocked an attack from Saitoh's side.

"You thought wrong!" Saitoh exclaimed, taking another down. "The mission is over, Shinomori. Get the fuck out of here before I kill you myself."

"I will contact you." Aoshi blocked another attack as he ran to the train himself. He pushed me onto the train, his kodachi ready to strike anyone who got through Saitoh. He watched, almost longingly, as Saitoh bested Daidouji's men. Daidouji himself had disappeared, leaving nothing but this fervor.

The engine gave a yell, signifying that the train would be leaving the station. A gunshot echoed through the station. "Come on!" I called over the train's loud whistle. The train was begging to pull out from the station.

Looking to me, and to the fight once more, I thought for a moment he was going to go back into the battle. However, he raced to the train and jumped on. Bracing the floor for support, he tried to catch his breath. I towered over him in worry. "Are you-"

In a blink he pulled me tight into his embrace. He lowered his head, his nose borrowing into my hair. "I'm so glad you are safe," he whispered. He also said something that I couldn't exactly make out... but the word stupid was involved.

After all what he had put me through that morning, I wasn't in the mood for his hide-and-go-seek of emotions. I just wished he would make up his mind on how he felt. I pulled away from him and looked up to meet his eyes, "I thought you weren't talking to me."

"I have talked to you," he defended with a serious look on his face.

"In complete sentences?" I asked.

"Only when forced," he said sounding almost amused.

Well, I wasn't amused. Turning my back to him, I folded my arms against my chest. "Well no one is forcing you, so you can just-"

Yanking my arm so I had to turn and face him, Aoshi placed a finger on my mouth. "Misao, please."

My eyes softened as I smiled up at him innocently, "So you're not mad at me?"

He blinked. "Not mad at you."

"Well then, can you please explain the whole acting-like-an-ass thing for me, please? Because I'm a little confused."

"So am I," he said, moving his hand to caress my cheek. "So am I."


	10. The King of Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Don't get cute."

"So what you are telling me is that the mission was a complete failure?" Jiya looked down on the both of us. For an old man, he was pretty good at giving the impression of being much taller and creepier than he really was.

Shifting my legs beneath me, I cowered away a little bit. But only slightly. "Not exactly failed, Jiya. If it wasn't for-"

"Starting a brawl in the middle of a train station?"

"That wasn't-"

"Aoshi and you drawing attention to yourselves?"

"No we-"

"Were doing exactly what you promised not to do?"

Aoshi cut in, "I think she understands, Okina." He eyed me from the corner of his vision, "But to be fair, not all of this was Misao's fault."

Letting out a loud sigh, Jiya faced his back to the both of us. "If Misao-chan is really serious about taking the position of Okashira, then she must be responsible for all actions taken under her directions." The old man turned around, looking straight at Aoshi. "You of all people should know this, Aoshi."

"Okina..." Aoshi sat there, staring at the old man in a sort of shocked state. To be honest, I was a little thrown off by what Jiya had said as well. He was normally very soft when it came to me, his adopted granddaughter. For him to say something so cruel to me was a very big surprise. And for him to hit Aoshi with a cruel comment like that... it was unheard of.

But like the big mature Okashira that I am, I took it in silence. My head was lowered and tears were beginning to form in my eyes, but I took all of it in. "It..." I cleared my throat, trying not to sound completely pathetic, "It's all right, Aoshi. Jiya is... right. I take full responsibility for the failed mission."

The old man looked at me in complete disbelief. "Misao-chan?" He looked accusingly at Aoshi, "What did you do to her?"

"I-"

I interrupted Aoshi blurting, "He did nothing." And then a little quieter, "He did nothing, Jiya. It's just... you are right. It is my fault that the mission failed. I should have taken your advice and let Aoshi go by himself." But the old man wasn't listening to what I was saying anymore. He was just staring at me, looking as if he were trying to figure something out. "Do I have something on my face?" I asked, blinking.

Shaking his head, Jiya brushed it off, "It's nothing, nothing. My old age must be getting to me. For a second there, I thought you called him 'Aoshi'."

"I did call him Aoshi."

Jiya glared at him, as he had become very quiet. I suppose the 'Aoshi' thing still bothered him too. "You DID do something to her! Out with it!"

Standing up, I stared down the old man. "That is enough, Jiya!" I knew if I didn't stop his accusations, Aoshi would just blurt out that we had sex during our trip. And, honestly, that was not a lecture that I wanted to sit through. Ever. Especially given by Jiya.

"I see," he said, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. "We will talk later, Misao-chan." I got the message. He was finished talking, but too polite to say it.

I bowed curtly and stormed out of his room, vaguely aware that Aoshi was walking behind me. I was just so steamed at Jiya! He still acted as though he were running everything. I was the Okashira, was I not? Even if he was just trying to help-- it was not his place to say the things he did.

"It was nothing, huh?" Aoshi's voice asked from behind me.

Whirling around, my face turned very hot and very red. I was still embarrassed about the whole situation. If Aoshi was, he showed no hint of restraint of bringing up the taboo element of our night together. Laughing nervously, I waved my hand, "You know it wasn't nothing. I just don't think it would be appropriate for Jiya to know _all_ that happened in Kobe."

"He'll probably find out sooner or later. After all, Daidouji knew."

Sighing loudly, I replied, "But he was spying on us, that pervert. Look, we'll hit the Jiya bridge when we have to. Anyway," I smiled smugly at him.

Aoshi raised an eyebrow. Interrupting my train of thought, he said, "Do not give me that look."

"What look?"

"The look of addiction." He looked away from me, staring out into space. Lost in his world again. "I told you already it will not happen again. I do not want to jeopardize anything."

I wished he wouldn't make it sound like we made some terrible mistake. If it were not bad enough that Aoshi had been secluded due to the guilt of the lives that had been lost because of him, now he blamed himself for our night together. What he lacked to realize was that I had a part in that decision as well. I had almost forced it upon him. The guilt monster had become somewhat of a weight on my shoulders as well every time I looked at Aoshi now. I wouldn't take back our choice for anything-- but that didn't mean I couldn't have regrets about it.

Of course, Aoshi knew nothing of my thoughts on this matter, except the fact that I would get mad every time he said we made a bad decision, blah blah blah. The man never lived on the dangerous side. Or in the now. I sighed again and muttered, "You are jeopardizing things right now, Aoshi." Before he could respond, I bowed slightly and added, "Well then please excuse me, I told Okon-san that I would help her in the Aoi-ya after talking with Jiya."

As I turned the opposite way to get away from him, he grabbed my arm forcefully and said, "Misao."

" _What?!_ " I replied angrily. He was really beginning to wear on my nerves. Didn't Aoshi understand that I was trying to get _away_ from him and his rainy-state-of-mind?

Lowering his voice, he whispered, "I have hurt you."

"Damn right, you hurt me!" I steamed, taking back my arm. "You have absolutely no idea--"

"Aoshi."

The both of us turned to see Jiya standing in the hallway, a very serious look on his face.

"Jiya..."

"Can I speak to you privately, Aoshi?" The old man asked. "There are some matters that I am still a bit lost on from your report."

The blatant disregard of my rank only steamed me further, "Why do you have to speak to Aoshi? _I'm_ the Okashira here, or have all of you forgotten that?! Would you, for once, take that into consideration?" 

Silence.

From the blank looks I got from both men, I knew I wasn't getting through to them. "I guess I'm not that important." I snorted, "Damn you all!" Raged, I stomped on the floor and then stormed off towards the kitchen. I needed to do something that didn't involve Oniwabanshu business before I went crazy.

The look of pure shock on Okon-san's face told me that I should settle down a bit. "M-M-Mis-sao-c-c-cha--n...!" she stuttered. I must have looked very terrifying for Okon-san to stutter at me. She was one to tease little Misao-chan until there wasn't a shred of dignity left in my petite body.

Taking a deep breath in, I tried to calm myself down. I could feel the aura of my anger shrink, if just a little bit. Looking to Okon-san again, I attempted a smile, "You said you needed help?"

Raising an eyebrow, the older woman took a few steps towards me. "Are you alright, Misao-chan?"

"Yeah, yeah," I said, waving my hand to the side of me as if it were nothing. My pride isn't important anyway, right? "Just Jiya and Aoshi acting stupid again."

" _Aoshi_?"

I sighed. "Yes, _Aoshi_."

"And what brings this demotion about, Misao-chan?" A wry smile formed on Okon-san's face. "Did something happen during the trip that you want to tell me?"

I raised my eyebrows, "Not really, Okon-san."

"Shucks." Pouting, she turned back to tending the next order. "So what's this about Okina and _Aoshi_?"

Rolling my eyes, I chose to ignore her obvious hinting. "Jiya and _Aoshi_ are lacking in the clue department at the moment."

Okon-san giggled, "Men tend to lack a clue sometimes, Misao-chan. You just have to get used to it." She patted me on the head and then went back to work- preparing tea for some of the customers who were in the restaurant. "Could you get this order of tempura, Misao-chan? You are better at cooking it than I am."

A small smile formed on my face. She was trying to cheer me up. Good old Okon-san. "Sure!" I said, hopping over to the wok. Cooking would get my mind off of things.

Or... at least I thought it would...

_"Misao, please."_

_"So you're not mad at me?"_

_"Not mad at you."_

"Misao-chan! That's too much heat!" Omasu-san's voice snapped me out of whatever daze my mind had wandered into.

The popping of the boiling oil was so loud that I couldn't understand why I couldn't hear it until then. Debris of burning oil was flying everywhere in the kitchen. Coming out of my daze, I looked up to Omasu-san and blinked, "Huh?"

And that's when it hit me. A large droplet, the size of a small plum, of oil flew onto my hand. The pain registered immediately as my hand shot off the wok and I screamed on the top of my lungs. The skin on my hand was sizzling as it burned. Omasu-san quickly took my hand and led me to a bucket of water. The room temperature water felt so good against my burnt skin. Stinging, yes, but it was better than boiling. Okon-san burst into the kitchen, followed closely by Aoshi and Jiya. "What happened, Misao-chan?" Okon-san knelt beside me, looking to Omasu-san for answers.

"She had the oil too hot--" Omasu-san tucked her bangs behind her ears as she pursed her lips. "It could have happened to anyone--"

"But Misao-chan's an expert in making te-" Okon-san said, but cut herself off at the glare from Omasu-san.

In a situation like this, I probably would have not just sat there listen to the two older woman bicker over a stupid thing I did-- but I was just so drained. Emotionally and physically. And that's why this stupid thing happened to me. Silently I cursed my stupidity.

Okon-san sighed loudly, "I better go back out there before the customers begin to think someone died." She put her hand on my shoulder and asked, "Are you okay, Misao-chan?" I nodded silently. And that was enough for her. She looked to my hand in the bucket of water and sucked her teeth.

"Go on, Okon, Omasu, we will take care of this." Jiya said, stepping forward. "Aoshi, will you fetch some bandages and something to ease the burn?" Aoshi was already gone. I really didn't understand what the fuss was over me burning myself. It was as if I had never done it before.

Omasu-san placed her right hand under my chin, making me meet her eyes. "Please cheer up, Misao-chan. And be more careful... I don't think my nerves could take another shaking like that."

What? Oh I was so lost.

"Omasu, go." Jiya knelt down and gently wrapped his hand around mine, keeping it quite submerged. "Fetch some colder water, if you could. This isn't cold enough to help the burn."

Omasu-san nodded and quickly left the kitchen.

Now it was just Jiya and myself, and something inside told me that this was not a good thing. My shackles were raised. Goosebumps covered my skin, and it wasn't because of the water. When did Jiya begin to make me so tense? Oh yeah, the secret that was being safely kept from him. And I would die before I would tell him. "It's not like you to have an accident like this, Misao-chan," the old man said, gingerly bringing my hand out of the water.

"Yeah, well I'm not really feeling like myself," I muttered under my breath. My exposed skin was stinging like hell. In water, out of water, this burn was just going to hurt. I gritted my teeth, trying to block out the pain.

Jiya raised an eyebrow, "I realized that." He flexed my wrist back and forth, examining the burn. It wasn't too serious, but the welt was still very red and very irritated. Not to mention it took up almost half of my hand. I wouldn't be using my right hand for kunai anytime soon without a lot of pain on my part.

Aoshi had returned to the kitchen, carrying bandages. The look on his face was, of course, unreadable. Expect anything different? Only fools would. But I could pretend that he had been so quick to get the bandages because he was worried about me. Yes, that was it. And the stoic look he was giving me know was complete concern for my wellbeing. Who was I kidding? I pulled my hand out of Jiya's grip and insisted, "I don't need bandages. I'm fine."

"Misao-chan, it could get infected," Jiya argued.

I stood up a little too quickly. Black spots appeared in my vision, but I just ignored them. "I said, no. I'm the goddamn Okashira, and I'm the one that gives the goddamn orders, old man, not you!" I pointed to him with my un-injured hand, fury raging in my eyes. "I'm not a little child anymore."

"Then stop acting like one," Aoshi's voice boomed. I looked over to him with a shocked expression. His face was still blank as ever, but his voice was filled with such anger. Before I could reply, he swooped me up in those big arms of his and carried to my room.

Naturally, I kicked and screamed the entire way there, "Get off of me, you asshole! I'm not five! PUT ME DOWN!"

"If you knew anything you would be quiet before you anger anyone else in this house."

I cut myself off, hanging limply in Aoshi's grip, defeated. With one hand holding me up, he opened the door to my room and walked in. The sun's setting rays shone into the window, making my room deep shades of red and orange. The set up of my room is quite simple. There's a drawer that holds a few of my treasured belongings in one corner, a bookcase in the corner opposite of it. The rest of the room was completely bare. A ninja's life is simple... and so is a ninja's room.

Aoshi placed me in the middle of the room. "Are you calm now?" I nodded wordlessly. Letting out a loud sigh, Aoshi sat beside me pulling the bandages and ointment out of his robe. "Are you going to be stubborn, or are you going to let me wrap your burn?"

"Depends on what would happen if I was stubborn," I said a wry smile on my face. I was taunting him and I knew it. Hey, payback is a bitch sometimes.

"Don't get cute." He put his hand out, silently telling me to let him wrap up the wound.

I let him take my hand. So much for stubborn. I winced as he placed the ointment on the burn. It hurt more than it probably helped. Really what I wanted was a very cold bucket of water. That way at least my hand would have been numb. No feeling is better than burning feeling. Trust me on this one. "So..." I said, trying to start conversation. "Why was everyone going crazy over this? It's just a little burn."

A few seconds of silence. The wrapping went around my hand. Once. Twice. "It was not the burn that they were fretting over, Misao. It was you."

"I just burned myself that's-"

"When Okina and I came into the kitchen, you were crying." His bangs were now in the way of his eyes and his voice had gone very quiet. "Your face had gone completely white, and your eyes were dilated. The burn... was not the main concern. You... your face was..." he paused again, searching for words. "Your face was haunting." I sat there for a few minutes, staring at my hand in silence. Funny, I didn't remember crying at all. I remembered going to the wok, and I remembered getting burned. Everything else in-between was kind of hazy. "I can only assume," he continued, "That you were upset over what we had discussed earlier."

"No, not everything I think about is about you, Aoshi..." he gave me a knowing look and my shoulder slouched, "Okay, so it was you I was thinking about," I admitted. "But it's not a regular thing, I swear!" Finished wrapping my hand, Aoshi put a tight knot in the swab, and checked that the bandage was nice and tight. He, however, remained silent. "By the way..." I added, flexing my burnt hand as I gingerly took it out of his grasp, "Thank you for standing up for me earlier... with Jiya."

Aoshi looked away, "He wasn't right in scolding you like that. The fault is on both of our shoulders."

"But as much as I hate to admit it, the old man was right. I have to take responsibility for the actions of the members of the Oniwabanshu. I need to start acting like an Okashira would act."

Aoshi turned to me, his bangs still in the way of his eyes, "But how would you know how to? You have never had a proper Okashira yourself."

"That's not true!" I said, bringing my healthy hand up to Aoshi's cheek. He flinched at my touch. "You were a great Okashira. Don't ever doubt that, Aoshi-sama."

He let out a grunt, "I thought you were not going to call me that anymore."

I shrugged. "If it makes you understand how important you are to me... to all of us... then I'll just have to call you Aoshi- _sama_."

Turning away, he retorted, "I am not worthy of any respect! Especially from you."

"Aoshi-"

"I failed to protect Beshimi, Hyotoko, Shikijou, and Hannya... and I also failed to protect you... from myself." He looked down at his hands, "With my own hands... I took away that innocence that I was trying to protect."

I raised an eyebrow in surprise. "So that's it."

"What?" his eyes locked onto mine.

"You've been feeling guilty for 'taking away my innocence'." I folded my arms against my chest. "Well, I hate to break it to you, Aoshi-- but you really didn't have that negative an impact on my life." He could only blink. I moved my face closer to his, our lips only breaths away from touching. "What we shared together was something very special. And I will always have it with me right here," I brought my good hand up to my chest.

Aoshi shook his head, trying not to look me in the eye. "No, Misao, you are fooled. I lost control of any of my own will and I destroyed your life."

This time I cupped both of my hands around his face, making him meet my eyes. My burn was stinging like crazy, but I didn't care. "The only way you would destroy my life was to leave it again. I love you, Aoshi."

"No, you don't."

Barring my teeth, I squeezed his face together, "Do you want to argue about this, you idiot?" Pushing him back, I stood tall above him, my arms crossed against my chest. "I know what is in my own heart. I love the Shinomori Aoshi I see before me. Not the man I knew, or the monster that became of him. I love the man right before me, and I _will continue_ to love him until this beating heart inside my chest stops."

He stood up as well, towering over me like a giant. Narrowed, his eyes were trying to be cold to me, but the rest of his body was beginning to lose the never-ending battle. "But you do not understand-"

Taking a step towards him, I took his hands in mine. "Then help me understand. I want to understand. I want to know what you are thinking Aoshi." Taking away my left hand, I reached up and traced my fingers against the right side of his jaw. "I want to know everything of you." Pushing myself up on my tiptoes, I closed my eyes and puckered my lips. 

_Kiss me you fool_ , I chanted in my head.

I listened to the silence of the room. And then the shuffling of his clothes. His hands broke away from my grip and cupped themselves around my face. As our lips touched, I opened my mouth, inviting his tongue in. Without breaking the kiss, I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him more down to my height. Which was a task within itself, as I tried not to aggravate my burn further. Apparently, I yanked too hard. The both of us came crashing down to the floor, Aoshi sprawled on top of me. It only took the both of us to recover from the shock of falling. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear as I blushed at him. And then we laughed. Well, I laughed and Aoshi chuckled very quietly. Smiling at him, I raised my face up to his and whispered, "How was that?"

He looked at me for a second, as if trying to select his words carefully. Finally, he broke the silence and replied, "You taste like tempura."

So much for any hopes of him being romantic.


	11. Cleaning House (Lemon #2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Depends on what would happen if I was stubborn."

"Misao-chan? Misao-chan?" Jiya's footsteps echoed through the Aoi-ya as he called out. "Misao-chan?" The footsteps were coming closer. He stopped at Aoshi's room; slowly slid the shoji door open. "Ah, Aoshi-" he said as he popped his head into the room. The old man faltered for a moment as he noted Aoshi’s disheveled hair, and the fact that his yukata was gaping open. "Uh..." he looked around the room, "What were you doing in here?"

Aoshi looked up to the old man, and, in an even voice, explained, "I just woke up, Okina."

"Ah-" the old man said, still with a confused look on his face. It was late morning. Aoshi sleeping in past dawn was not a normal thing. "Are you feeling all right? Your face looks a bit flushed."

"I have not been feeling well, no."

Jiya nodded. "Well, can you do me a favor? If you see Misao-chan, can you remind her that it's her turn to clean the restaurant? We're going out to shop, and we'll be back later this afternoon."

"I will do that if I see her," Aoshi said, nodding his head.

Raising an eyebrow, Jiya again asked, "Are you sure you are all-"

" _Okina! Come on! This shopping isn't going to be done on it's own!_ "

"Ah, yes Okon! I'm coming!" he called. Looking back to Aoshi, Jiya nodded, "See you later tonight."

"Yes," Aoshi replied. The sound of footsteps again. 

I kneaded my hands up Aoshi's back. "Is he gone?" I purred.

His eyes fluttered closed as he let out a very quiet, "Yes." He looked behind his back, his eyebrows raised, "Did you hear what Okina said, Misao? You have chores to do."

Pouting, I replied, "But you smell so yummy right now."

"You said that last night after you snuck in here." Pushing himself away slightly, he turned his whole body to face me. "That was, of course, after you invited yourself into my bed."

I nodded mockingly, "Yes, because you tried to stop me."

"That is not the point, Misao. If you had been heard by anyone-"

"It was the middle of the night, Aoshi--" I whined, slinking up to him. I sat in his lap and began to rub my head against his chest.

Aoshi had to clear his throat before he could properly respond. "Be that as it may, you forget you live in a house of Oniwabanshuu. They are trained to hear things that normal people do not hear. So, never again, understand?"

My pout grew deeper. "Okay..." I sighed. "But now can we--"

"No," he said firmly.

" _But-_ "

"Clean."

" _But-_ "

"Now."

Hunching my shoulders over in defeat, I asked, "Can you at least _help_ me with the chores? If you help me with cleaning, then, _maybe_?"

Sighing loudly, Aoshi nodded. "All right, all right. I will help you clean downstairs." He shot me a look of contempt, "At this rate you are going to wear me out, little girl."

"Hey!" I cupped his face with both hands and forced him to look down to me. Moving my lips a few whispers away from his, I asked through gritted teeth, "Who are you calling _little girl_?" And with that, I forced him into a very rough kiss. Pushing my tongue against his closed lips, I raged war with them until they finally subdued and let my tongue inside.

Aoshi pulled away from the kiss, his eyes a little more wild than they were a few seconds before. "No."

"You're no fun." I pointed my tongue out at him.

With a small smirk, he cupped _my_ face with one hand and said, "You have no idea how fun I can be."

"Oh!" I said with a little jump. With me sitting on his lap, there was a stirring beneath me. "Is that an invitation?" I asked hopefully.

His eyebrows immediately furrowed, "Clean."

So the both of us began to clean the downstairs. I had taken up the sweeping, and Aoshi had begun to dust. Before long, we had worked into a pattern that moved the job much more quickly. I soon moved to the dishes that were stacked up from the night before as Aoshi continued to dust. Before I knew it, the stack of dishes was gone, and Aoshi was sitting calmly having a cup of tea. I came into the restaurant area, stretching. "Ahhh... I wish they wouldn't let those dishes sit like that! It takes forever to clean them."

Aoshi, however, was not listening to me. He was chuckling.

I blinked. "What?"

Walking over to me, he leaned over and brushed my face. "You have soap bubbles all over your forehead."

"Ah I see," I said, my cheeks turning red. They had a habit of doing that whenever I got a waft of his scent. It was connected to memories of our time as one. "So... The cleaning is done..."

"Congratulations."

Observing his complete lack of movement, I was beginning to think that there would be no reward. At least the reward I wanted. Glaring at him, I stuck my tongue out. "Fine, be that way." I turned away to storm off. However, I felt a tug on the tie around my waist. Turning around, I saw that Aoshi was holding part of the bow, smirking. "Hey-" I protested.

He pulled me in, the ribbon coming undone as he pulled me towards him. He slipped his hands into the folds of my robe, cupping my breasts. I let out a low moan. I guess this meant sex was on. Leaning down, he kissed me gently on the lips. "Not here."

"But-"

Starting from the bottom of my chin, he licked my profile. Shivers ran through my spine as I tried to force myself to stay standing. But it was just an attention getter, as when I tried to respond, he placed a finger on my mouth and repeated, "Not here." And with that he scooped me into his arms. "You don't want to mess up the lovely cleaning we just spent so much time on, do you?"

"Who cares," I replied. Being able to have him again was the only thing on my mind. 

"You will when Okina and the others come home and find us on the floor," he replied, beginning to walk through the restaurant. "Locating to a more... private... room will give us more of a chance to know when they come home."

"You just want to keep this a secret," I pouted.

He stopped then, leaning his head closer to mine. "I want to keep you to myself, yes. Only I get to see you," he said as he squeezed his hands around my thighs teasingly. Unable to stop myself, I let out another moan. "Plus, you are a noisy one."

I glared. "We'll see who's louder." I began to wriggle around in his grip, making sure I rubbed the right areas against his chest. It made the task of carrying me to my bedroom that much more difficult. 

His breathing heavy, we finally reached my bedroom. He didn't make it to my futon. Dropping to his knees, Aoshi spread me out on the cool wood flooring. Not wasting a moment, his hands dug themselves under my robe and slipped my top off, exposing my chest. Always the first thing he did. I suppose he liked looking at my chest. Bringing his head down to my chest, he began to play with the curves of my right breast with his tongue. My nipples hardened immediately under his touch, and once again I was making noises that I could not control.

Smirking, he looked up from what he was doing, and said, "Noisy."

But for me to give a proper retort, I would have had to not be struggling to breathe as I was at that moment. I looked down at him and glared. Licking my dry lips, I finally panted out, "Not... fair..." I tried to move to change our positions, but he held me fast. It was impossible to move.

"It is my turn," he said, bringing his lips against mine. "Relax, Misao."

How could I relax when he was doing things like that to me? He continued to suck my nipples, as I tried my best not to wriggle under his grip. Finally, he moved his tongue up to my neck, and began to suck. It hurt, but I didn't care. It was the type of hurting that I longed for, ever since our morning in Kobe. Then, still tracing my skin with his tongue, he moved up to my mouth, and slid his tongue into my mouth. I gladly opened my closed lips and let him begin to explore the inside of my mouth.

Lower down, I felt his fingertips sliding around my thighs. When had he gotten my bottoms off? As he was kissing me, he inched them further up, until finally he reached the spot he had discovered the last time we were in this situation. A scream bubbled within me against our lips. And in his eyes, I saw the slightest glint of mischief. Suddenly, he thrust his fingers into me, producing another moan from me. I could feel his fingers probing areas that were not meant to be touched. Finally, he broke the kiss, only to find me whimpering. "Are you alright, Misao?" he asked as he pushed his fingers against the lining within me. I wriggled at the sensation, making sounds I had never even fathomed before. Uncontrollably, my back arched as I gave a loud shout of pleasure.

He stopped for a moment, but his fingers stayed inside. "What was that?" he asked, in a mocking tone. 

Once again, his fingers began to play inside of me. I wriggled and whimpered for him to stop as a sly grin formed on his face. He was just playing again. My eyes searched for something I could do, something to get him to stop. And that's when I saw he was very hard under that yukata he was wearing. Without warning, I grabbed his penis with my left hand, and squeezed. He abruptly stopped, and became jelly atop of me. Panting, he looked me in the eye and said, "You win." Slowly, he brought his fingers out of me. Again, he started with kisses, this time at my neck. Both of us were covered in sweat by this point, but it didn't look like Aoshi was at any point of stopping. His hands found themselves on top of mine, which were still holding his length. I silently obeyed, and released him. Tracing up the path of my thighs, his fingers kneading into my skin, asking if it was all right. He broke the kiss, pulling a few inches away from my face. Again, his fingers traced a circle in my thigh. I nodded wordlessly. As if I could muster up any words at this point.

With one good thrust, he was inside of me. My back arched again as the tears began to flow again. Aoshi had assured me that over time this would become less painful, but it was hard to believe sometimes. Tears streamed down my eyes, as I tried to catch my breath. I was anticipating the pumping that would be coming. I traced my hands against Aoshi's chest, to his bareback. My burned hand was stinging like crazy from the combination of sweat and the constant contact of Aoshi's yukata on the top of my hands. But the pain did not compare to the pain happening below.

For a moment, there was only the sound of our panting for air. With a butterfly touch, he kissed the bridge of my nose. I knew what was coming. I closed my eyes, and tightened my grip around him.

Rotating his hips, he began to pump. And with every thrust, I let out a moan. The harder the thrust, the louder the moan coming out of my mouth. The louder the moan, the faster he went. He was responding to my screams, as if the harder he pushed, the faster my screams would stop. My heartbeat was pounding against my ears. Under all of the pressure, my arms gave out and I was lying on the floor again, Aoshi atop of me, shifting back and forth. Occasionally my back would arch in response to him. I could feel the climax bubbling within me. And then, there was nothing. I collapsed against the floor, as Aoshi pulled out of me.

Blinking against the sweat leaking into my eyes, I looked to Aoshi and observed, "You didn't..."

From behind his disheveled hair, he looked at me with one eye. He was covered in sweat as well. Some strands of hair were sticking to his cheeks, begging for me to push them away. He smiled then, saying, "I was not about to let it end that quickly."

Picking up my discarded top, I slipped my arms through their deemed holes. It immediately stuck to my sweaty skin. Adjusting my shoulders, I asked, "Start again, shall we?"

Aoshi was already holding me close to him, his lips barely touching mine. "Yes, let's."


	12. Knots in the Bedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It seems our little Okashira has grown up."

"Aooooshi..."

My room was echoing with panting. Moaning. And the occasional controlled scream. Sunlight was pouring in during the lovely afternoon. Chores with benefits. Here Aoshi and I were cleaning the Aoi-ya while the other Oniwabanshu were out... and now we were making out. But I wasn't complaining at all. A week had passed since Aoshi and I had our little "talk", and now just about every chance he got when no one was looking, he was touching me, tickling me, kissing me. Making up for lost time, I suppose. It was an exciting time in our budding relationship.

Of course, there will still some relapses of guilt on Aoshi's part.

Aoshi pulled away from the most recent deep kiss, his face slightly flushed and panting for air. "M-Misao."

But they were remedied quickly, by assuring him that he was what I wanted.

"Oh... Aoshi..." I leaned in and proceeded to kiss him again. I wouldn't have been surprised that my lips were swollen by the time we actually got out of my room.

He pulled away again. "Misao!"

"Aoshi?" I blinked, looking at him with my big innocent eyes. There was silence for a few seconds, as he listened for movement. Perhaps he had heard someone come in. That was one downfall of this relationship. Aoshi wanted to keep it a secret. He had never come out and directly declared that I wasn't to tell anyone-- but it was crystal clear that I was to keep my mouth shut. Unless, of course, he was kissing it. Then all rules were off.

But it was nothing. Looking back down to me, he smiled. It was his turn to take the initiative. He pulled me in close to him and whispered, "Misao."

"Dear God, can the two of you say anything other than your names?" Turning our heads, we both saw none other than Saitoh standing in the doorway, smoking a cigarette. He had a very twisted smile on his face. Very quickly Aoshi pushed me away, my fingers still intertwined in his robe. The flap pulled open as I bounced against the floor. Saitoh raised an eyebrow, "Oh, did I come at a bad time?"

" _Any_ time with you is a bad time, Saitoh," I replied, rubbing my sore butt.

The policeman chuckled, looking ever so amused by this whole situation. "Might want to check your uniform there, Weasel. I'm seeing things I never wanted to know you had."

Sure enough, when I looked down I noticed that Aoshi had somehow got my robe loose as well. Blushing furiously, I pulled the robe back into position and muttered under my breath. "We were cleaning," I explained, a bright flush coming to my cheeks.

"Yeah... sure you were."

"Fuck you, Saitoh," I spat.

"Oh... I'm sure Shinomori is doing a fine job of that, Weasel. Wouldn't want to get him jealous now, would we?" A light shade of pink formed on my cheeks as I bit my tongue. Blowing a puff of smoke out of his mouth, his smile only became slyer. "So I can see that the two of you made it back to Kyoto safely. When I hadn't heard, I feared the worst."

Narrowing my eyes, I replied, "No you didn't."

He shrugged the hand that was holding the cigarette. "True, but I thought I would at least try to be a bit endearing."

"What do you want, Saitoh?" Aoshi finally asked, his arms crossed against his chest. 

"So hostile," Saitoh commented, raising an eyebrow. "Are you really that upset that I ruined your alone time with Weasel here?" He sighed dramatically, "And here I came to deliver news." Putting his hand over his heart, he pretended to be wounded, "You wound me, Shinomori. You and your woman are so cold to me, the poor, kind, policeman."

Snorting, I also crossed my arms, "Humph. The day you are a kind policeman is the day I'm a mother of five."

Smirking, the bastard replied, "The way you two are going, that day probably won't be very far off." My face immediately turned bright pink. Hurriedly, I walked over to my window and looked outside. I couldn't take much more of this abuse before I snapped. And it would not be pretty.

"What did you need to tell us?" Aoshi demanded in a sharp tone. It appeared as if Saitoh had crossed the line and then sliced it with his Gatoutsu. Aoshi was not pleased with Saitoh's taunts.

And Saitoh was not pleased with Aoshi's tone. "Watch it, Shinomori," he warned. "You wouldn't want to find out why the Battousai and I have never finished a fight." The air in the room had grown immensely tense. Aoshi didn't have a reply to that. All he did was let out a small snort. Truly, I think if Saitoh and Aoshi ever went head to head, Aoshi would have kicked his sorry wolf ass up and down. But I wasn't biased. It was just the truth. Aoshi was younger, had more skills, and was much more agile-- and that I could guarantee. 

"I came here to inform you that Daidouji is coming to his base in Kyoto tonight. My informants have told me that he is planning to make an attack against the Oniwabanshu." Sucking in another puff, he let a stream of smoke escape in a thin snake on the side of his lips. "Thought you ought to know. Apparently he is very put off about your last encounter." Taking a breath in, he paused and observed the two of us with his watchful policeman eyes. "I wonder why," he added with a smirk.

"I had been expecting this, to tell you the truth. After all, Daidouji is not the type to make threats and not follow up on them." Aoshi looked over to me, his eyes heavy, "You will have to leave Kyoto, Misao."

I turned to both men, fuming. "No. Way."

"Misao-"

"No, we aren't going to play this again!" I shouted. "I'm staying here, in my home, and that is final. Some stupid gaijin-wannabe isn't going to scare me to go running into the woods."

Aoshi stalked over to me, taking my uninjured hand in his. "He cannot find out who you are, Misao. If he does, he will surely kill you-- even though you had nothing to do with Kanryuu."

"Then that's my problem, isn't it? That's part of the danger of being an Okashira."

"She's got a point there, Shinomori," Saitoh chuckled. "Besides, Daidouji thinks that she is your wife, remember? He already wants her dead. Sending her away won't fix a damn thing and you know it. He would only be more suspicious if she was missing." He took a puff of his cigarette, "As much as it pains me to say it, I think the Weasel should stay here. It would be safer, to say the least."

"No one asked you, Saitoh," Aoshi retorted harshly. 

And then I said something I never ever thought I would say: "Saitoh is right." Both men turned to me and stared. Shrugging, I shook my head, "Look, it's scarier to me than you that I actually agree with him-- but he makes a valid point."

"And here I thought she was a complete idiot," Saitoh teased.

Sighing, Aoshi shook his head, "Fine, she stays." Pointing to Saitoh, he ordered, "You go."

Saitoh put his hands up in defense, "I'm leaving. You may return to your... cleaning," he added with a smirk. "However, before I go, I did want to invite you to help with some reconnaissance."

"When?"

"Why, tonight of course, Shinomori. I want to know as much as you do what Daidouji plans to do while he is in Kyoto." He paused for a moment and then glared at me, "No Weasels allowed this time." I stuck my tongue out at him, in a very mature fashion. He curtly smiled at me, "Cute. It's a wonder that Shinomori hasn't strangled you yet. You must be amazing in bed."

" _Saitoh._ "

Bowing his smile only grew larger, "Well I shall take my leave of you. Meet me in front of the Shirobeko at dusk, Shinomori. Take care, Weasel. Try not to get to exhausted by your 'chores'."

We both listened in silence as the sound of his footsteps echoed throughout the Aoi-ya. When we heard the entrance door shut, the both of us let out a loud sigh of relief. "I really... hate... that guy..." steamed, balling my fists. Unfortunately for me, I forgot about the burn on my hand. I winced in pain as I sucked my teeth.

Aoshi looked over to me. "Are you alright?"

I nodded, "Yes, I'm fine. I just forgot about my burn there for a second. Distracted by wanting to kill Saitoh and all."

A faint smile formed on his lips. "You should be more careful. How is your burn?" Gingerly, he took the injured hand and unwrapped the bandage as I tried not to flinch too much from the pain. The burn had healed somewhat in the past week. It wasn't killing me anymore, but it still stung when it was touched harshly. The welt had turned into a nice pink patch on my hand with skin pealing away in a few places. Lovely, I know. Slowly, Aoshi brought my hand up to his lips, "Does that help?"

I smiled. Aoshi saying something sweet like that rendered me speechless. With my other hand, I traced my fingers around his lips. "Why don't we finish _cleaning_ , hm?" I leaned my face into his, our lips touching in a very chaste kiss.

Cupping his hands around my face, her intensified the kiss, forcing himself into my mouth. I moaned in delight as my hands fumbled towards his belt. 

Stupid Saitoh... we could keep our feelings in check...

... And Aoshi writes romantic poetry daily.

His belt fell to the floor and my hands instantly flew into his robe to touch his chest. My burn was hurting like crazy, but I could take it. After all, I was supposed to be able to lock out pain, right? Flinching under the touch of my cold hands, Aoshi broke the kiss. "Do you think we should do this, Misao? After all, the others..."

"...Won't be home for a few hours still. You know Jiya-- if he sees a pretty girl he'll be distracted for a good two hours."

He raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure about this?"

I pulled myself into his chest, nuzzling my head against his warm skin. I could almost hear his walls collapsing under my touch. "We aren't going to get a chance like this for a long while."

"Very well." He brought his head down to my level, kissing me once more. Behind my back, his fingers were fumbling with untying my sash. Kneading my hands into his chest, I slowly brought them up to his neck, where I wrapped my arms around him. My sash was undone, and I could already feel the cool breeze against my bare breasts. We broke the kiss and quickly took our robes off. Immediately, I pounced Aoshi to the floor. His hands had found the end of my braid and began to play with it. His forefinger teased the tail of the braid back and forth. His indirect way of asking me to undo my braid.

I straddled my legs around his hips and smiled. Pulling the tie at the end of my braid undone, I slowly brought one hand through the braid until it was loose. Raven tresses flowed everywhere around the two of us. I lowered my body down to his to the point where by bare breasts were pushing against his chest. He let out a soft moan. I whispered into his ear, "Better?"

"Misao, are you trying to seduce me?"

I smiled, "Is it working?"

He brought his head up and kissed me very chastely. "It is." He kissed me again, this time with much more intensity. My lips were bruised from his force. Continuing to kiss my goose-pimpling skin, he slowly moved down to my shoulders. At the nape of my neck, he began to suck. As much as I tried to fight it, a sound escaped my mouth. My fingers rushed through his head of hair as my body twitched with pleasure. I moaned his name, wishing he would not stop.

Saitoh's taunting words had already left my mind, as well as anything else that did not deal with Aoshi's lips on my neck. We were both completely oblivious to everything that wasn't the two of us. He was all that mattered to me at the moment, so I didn't care about anything else.

We probably both should have paid more attention. Because there was one, important, thing that we both failed to notice before we picked up where Saitoh had interrupted us.

"What do we have here?" A familiar voice said.

Jiya?

Aoshi and I both froze in terror as we turned to where the voice had come from.

Saitoh had not shut the door when he left.

At the foot of my doorframe stood an angered Jiya; a blushing Shiro-san; Kuro-san, who was diverting his vision; and Omasu-san and Okon-san-- with big knowing smiles on their faces. It seemed, from the state of things, the cat was out of the bag. 

Okon-san squealed in delight, "I knew it!"

"It seems our little Okashira has grown up," Omasu-san wiped a fake tear away from her eye.

"Misao?!" The old man exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock.

Quickly, I pulled myself off of Aoshi and fumbled for my robe top. My hair swung around like crazy, blocking my beat red face. Aoshi, who wasn't as exposed as I was, simply sat up, a very unsure look on his face. Wow, a new expression. It was something he was trying, apparently.

Jiya, who was still in a state of shock, stuttered, "Wh-what were you two doing?"

"J-Jiya..." I managed to say. 

"What does it look like they were doing?" Okon-san taunted. "They were having hot sex. Right, Omasu?"

The other woman nodded in delight, "Yes they were. And about time too. I thought poor Aoshi-sama was going to burst there for a while." They both giggled, hiding their mouths behind their hands.

It was becoming very hard to breathe. When had the room become so hot? My head spun as I was vaguely aware of the voices talking. "How... How long were you there...?"

Thinking for a moment, Okon-san answered, "From about the third time you moaned 'Aoooooooshi." She giggled again. "We had just come home from shopping when we heard strange noises coming from your room."

Omasu-san had still not stopped giggling, "We thought you were in some sort of trouble. But from the looks of things, Aoshi-sama had everything under control." Omasu-san and Okon-san burst into a storm of cackles. This was the seventh layer of hell.

My blush doubled, as I could feel myself being soaked into the floor. Why, oh why, didn't Daidouji just come and kill me now? It would have been so much better than listening to Omasu-san and Okon-san's giggling. Jiya wasn't shouting yet, so I suppose it was a good sign.

"Aoshi!"

Spoke too soon.

Aoshi looked up to his former mentor with a glare in his eyes. As if daring the old man to say something. We were wrong, he should be ashamed of himself, things that Aoshi had been telling himself in Kobe.

Jiya, however, did nothing like that. He hopped over to Aoshi and patted him on the back. Hard. "Congratulations!" A big grin spread across his face. "Way to go, Misao! Finally broke him out of his shell!"

My blush only deepened further, "Jiya..."

Folding his arms across his chest, he tried to give off the aura of being scholarly. "To be honest, I was suspicious of this since you returned to Kyoto." Omasu-san and Okon-san nodded behind him. Shiro-san and Kuro-san shook their heads, trying to just forget the scene they had just witnessed. "So, when's the wedding?"

"Wedding?" I gulped.

"Well aren't you going to get married now? Aoshi here isn't getting any younger. And if you keep putting marriage off, Misao, you'll never have enough time to have children!"

My eyes grew wide as I shook my head furiously NO. What uneased me more was the fact that Aoshi still had not said a word. "J-Jiya... is-is this really the time to be discussing this?"

"Oh my," Omasu-san giggled again. "You've gone and embarrassed her, Okina."

The old man laughed, "I suppose I have."

I looked to the floor, mortified. "P-please get out..." I muttered.

The three of them still continued to laugh their heads off. "What was that, Misao?" Jiya asked, trying to suppress his laughter.

"She asked you to get out!" Aoshi's voice boomed over everything. I looked over to him with tears of gratitude forming in my eyes. The others stared at him in shock. It wasn't everyday that Aoshi would raise his voice to anyone, let alone other members of the Oniwabanshu.

"I see..." Jiya raised an eyebrow. "Come on, let's leave the two love birds alone to their... chores..." Omasu-san and Okon-san pouted in protest, but went along with the group anyway.

Stalking over to my door, I slammed by shoji door shut. I was surprised to see I didn't break the wooden framing. I was fuming with anger, my hair almost standing up on its ends. "I... CAN'T... BELIEVE... THEM....!" I took a deep breath in, deep breath out. "I'M GOING TO KILL THEM!"

"Calm down, Misao," Aoshi said, still siting in the same place. He had not moved yet.

"But-!"

Finally pushing himself up to the floor, he walked over to me, putting his hands on my shoulders. "Calm," he cooed as he brought his lips to my forehead. He gave me a soft peck. A cold chill went through my body with his butterfly light touch.

But I wanted more than just a small peck on my head. I wanted to pick up where we had stopped. I wanted _him_. Embarrassment be damned, I was enjoying what Aoshi was doing to my neck. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I brought his face down to mine, "Can we pick up where we left off?" I pulled him into a deep kiss, probing my tongue into his mouth.

Quickly, he pulled out of the kiss, his eyes wild with some undefined emotion. Putting his forefinger on my lips, he quelled any protest I was about to say. "Not today, Misao." Pushing my wild hair behind one of my ears, he whispered, "Your hair is so beautiful down..." And with that, he quietly opened my door, and exited.

I fell to my knees as he closed the door, lost on how I should feel. On one hand, he had just denied my request for more lovemaking. On the other hand... he just gave me one of the kindest compliments I had ever heard.

Just today, I was willing to be optimistic.


	13. Into the Lion's Den

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It's bamboo tissue paper."

Even though I was suffering from the disappointment of not being able to "clean" with Aoshi, I decided it would be better if I sucked it up and helped in the Aoi-ya. It was my night to help cook, so if I didn't show, after today's fiasco, I would never have heard the end of it. Seeing as Omasu-san and Okon-san had kitchen duty as well, it would be a miracle if the incident was not mentioned at all.

Nervous, I tugged on my braid as I approached the kitchen. I also double checked to make sure the hickey Aoshi had given me earlier was hidden by my hair. I really, _really_ , did not want to suffer from an entire night of torture from the two older women. _Rather an evening than a life time,_ I told myself.

Omasu-san and Okon-san beamed at me when I walked into the kitchen, smiles like crazed lunatics. "Misao-chan! You're here!"

"Of course I'm here," I retorted. "Why wouldn't I be? I have kitchen duty tonight."

"We thought you and Aoshi-sama might be, well, you know..." Okon-san wriggled her eyebrows at me in a knowing manner.

"Yeah considering what we saw earlier, we thought we wouldn't be seeing you both for a week or two," Omasu-san added.

It had begun. I rolled my eyes at the two and walked over to the boiling pot of miso soup. I could ignore them if I tried hard enough.

"Where is Aoshi-sama, anyway?" Omasu-san asked.

It was already dusk outside. If he wasn't at the Aoi-ya, then he probably had already left for the Shirobeko; his "secret" mission with Saitoh. If he didn't tell the others about it, it wasn't my place to. "Who knows..."

Okon-san smiled to the other older woman. "I saw him leaving a few minutes ago. He looked quite angry. Misao-chan, do you know why?"

"Who knows..." I mindlessly repeated as I stirred the miso soup.

"Did you two have a fight?"

"No," I gritted my teeth. Leeches, the both of them. They were not going to leave me alone until they got something out of me.

Both women stared at me suspiciously. "Perhaps it is what we thought Omasu."

Omasu-san nodded, "It seems so, Okon." The two stepped towards me. I should have listened to my instincts that told me to run away. But I didn't. The crazed look in their eyes forced me to turn back to what I was cooking. When those two worked together, nothing was safe. I closed my eyes, trying to shut them out. But, of course, what was to come no one could possibly not hear. "Did you not please Aoshi-sama enough, Misao-chan?"

"What?!" My eyes bulged as I accidentally knocked the entire pot of miso soup with my single spoon. The hot soup splashed everywhere, however I avoided its steaming scorch. Score one for Misao. "What did you say?!" I could now turn my anger, and embarrassment, towards the two women. I was having terrible flashbacks to Maiko-san, and what she had said. These two were just as bad as that perverted old bat-- if not worse. While Maiko-san would give us privacy, Omasu-san and Okon-san would want to sit there and watch, and perhaps comment on what we were doing wrong. _'Oh no, Misao-chan, your arm needs to go there-' 'Aoshi-sama, you need to push harder.'_

Omasu-san shook her head as she wrapped her arm around my shoulder. "It's okay, Misao-chan. You are inexperienced... it's only natural that this sort of thing happens."

"That's right," Okon-san added. "After all, that's what we are here for... to help guide you through this new era of your life." They read the complete look of fear on my face as a cue to continue with their counseling session. "You see Misao-chan, when you and... Aoshi-sama," a wry smile appeared on both of their faces, "Make love, you need to make sure you keep his pleasures in mind."

"Huh?"

"Yes," Omasu-san nodded, "Always make sure that your man is happy. Because if he is happy, then you'll be happy... if you know what I mean," she wriggled her eyebrows at me.

I did know what she meant, and that was the frightening thing.

"And most important..." Okon-san held out her hand, which had a few pieces of what looked to be paper.

I raised an eyebrow, "What... is..."

"It's bamboo tissue paper." Both women grinned at each other. "The girls down the street use it."

Twitching visibly, I knew whom they were talking about. The 'girls down the street' were the high price prostitutes down the street. "And that is for..."

"It's so you don't have to worry..." Okon-san took a piece of the thin paper and balled it up with her fingers, and instantly I realized what it was for.

Twitching uncontrollably now, I put up my hands in surrender and backed out of the kitchen. "I'm sorry I just remembered that I forgot... I had something to do. We can...uhhh... finish this discussion later..." I looked at the bamboo again and shuddered in horror before leaving. Those two had fulfilled their grossness levels for the rest of my life. Bamboo tissue paper? That would be haunting me for nights to come. Maiko-san was a two-year-old compared to Omasu-san and Okon-san.

I had to get away from the Aoi-ya... away from them. The only place that came to mind was to follow Aoshi and Saitoh on their little 'mission'. Saitoh had told me not to come along, so all the more reason for me not to listen to him and go. The night was slightly chilly as I walked outside. It was dark now. A few lamps lit the streets, but that was all. Not really scary, but it made my senses become more aware of what was going on around me. The last thing I needed was for one of Daidouji's lackeys to come out and attack me. My day had been bad enough without having to kill someone. Wrapping my arms around my body for warmth, I headed towards the Shirobeko, hoping they hadn't left yet. If they had, then it would be a fun night trying to track them... because I would. There was no way in hell I was going back into the Aoi-ya without Aoshi. If I was to suffer through the cackling hens, Aoshi had to as well, damn it.

Luckily, I spotted the two figures of Aoshi and Saitoh just leaving the Shirobeko. I quickly followed them, trying my best to be silent in my running. It would be hard to follow the two of them without knowing, as they both were experienced warriors. I would just have to keep silent and keep my distance. And pray. Praying would be a big part of it. The look on Saitoh's face if he found me following them would not be a pleasant one... nor would I want to deal with Aoshi's outrage that he would, no doubt, have.

But leave it to the both of them to walk in the open on the street. Following them was no picnic. I hid behind buildings, staying a few meters away from them at all times. Every once in a while, Aoshi or Saitoh would look behind them. I would quickly dash behind whatever I could hide behind, hoping they had not seen me. Neither had tried to call out to me, or draw attention to the fact that they knew I was there. This was a good sign. Perhaps I was outsmarting them for once. Perhaps they just couldn't see in the dark very well. I was betting on the latter.

Finally they entered a wooded area. It would be easier to follow them closely, but harder not to make any noise. I watched my feet carefully to make sure I didn't step on any twigs or something that would alert them to my presence. During this I began to wonder. Why hadn't Saitoh wanted me to come along? I could act serious and help observe. Three sets of eyes were better than two. And what if Daidouji’s men had discovered them? They had no back up whatsoever. This was so typical Saitoh. Stupid Mibu's wolf was obsessed with acting so brave and sure. It was going to get him killed one day.

A small lit house appeared in front of us. The light was very dim, but nonetheless I could see it through the trees. Saitoh and Aoshi came to a stop, hiding behind a few bushes. I could only assume that this was where Daidouji would be arriving. Whispers. Risking a little more, I snuck towards them, trying to eavesdrop onto their conversation.

"He has not arrived yet." Saitoh's voice. The rough crackling of his over-smoked voice was easily recognizable, even in a whisper.

"What time was he supposed to arrive?"

"Now if I knew that, Shinomori, don't you think I would have had a bigger brigade than just you?"

"So what you are saying is that we could be waiting outside all night."

"Essentially."

"And what is the plan when he finally gets here?"

"To kill him, of course. Hopefully without causing too much of a ruckus that we have to deal with his lackeys."

"Glad we aren't going to beat around the bush."

There was a long silence.

And then Saitoh said something I never expected him to say. "So tell me, how was your _cleaning_ with the Weasel earlier?" I toppled over into the grass, my face burning red. What was it with people wanting to know about Aoshi and my private matters? Was it that interesting _that_ we were having sex? "Did she melt your _ice blue eyes_?"

"Don't push it, Saitoh."

"That well, huh?" he sounded very amused. I heard him blow a puff of smoke. Even when spying, the man smoked. "Can't say that I expected anything more from a guy like you."

Another pause in the conversation. I saw the silhouette of Aoshi's head turn to his companion. "What do you mean, _from a guy like me_?"

"Well," Saitoh let out a heavy breath. "There's the whole thing where you don't really show any emotion. I understand why you do it in battle, but when making love? You probably deflated more than just Weasel girl's pride."

"I show emotion," Aoshi defended.

"Trust me, Shinomori, I saw it all... and you don't." Saitoh now turned towards where I was watching, his golden eyes glowing in the dark. "Wouldn't you agree, Weasel?" he called.

Damn.

I stood up wearily, cursing whatever carelessness I had done to alert them to my presence. "How long have you known I was there?"

"Since you joined us at the Shirobeko," Aoshi replied.

Saitoh smirked. "Honestly, Weasel, did you really think that neither of us would sense that we were being followed? Not to mention, I know your loud footsteps anywhere." He blew a puff of smoke towards me, "Seems whoever taught you sneaking skills didn't do that good of a job of it." He smirked down at Aoshi, amused with himself. He knew that Aoshi was the one who taught me just about everything I knew when it came to my ninja skills.

I cocked my head to the side, arms crossed. Not happy, that's for sure. "Why don't you speak a little bit louder, Saitoh. I don't think Daidouji's men have heard you yet."

I really was beginning to hate that wolf grin of his. "That would be very interesting, considering that this is not Daidouji's hideout."

Taken aback, I asked, "Then where is this?"

"This, Weasel, is my house. Once Shinomori and I realized that you were following us, we decided to take a little detour. I had told you that you were not invited."

Smirking, I took a step towards them. Since there was no need to sneak about anymore, I definitely began to raise my voice. "I was hoping you would change your mind, Saitoh."

"And have to come save you later this evening?" Saitoh snorted. "No, I don't think so. Besides, the last thing I need at the moment is to see the two of you together again. Once a day is enough, trust me."

"Why you-"

" _Misao_." Aoshi. I looked up at him hopefully. Aoshi would tell Saitoh off now and tell him to let me join. That I was a needed asset. He understood that now. Why did they ever think they could do it without my help? He'd wrap his arms around me and apologize for leaving me with those two horrible women. Kiss me on the forehead and say that he loved me.

"Go home."

Of course that's what he said. Because he cared so much about my feelings. I took a step back, biting my lip. Disappointed wasn't a strong enough word to describe how I felt just then. "All right. Fine," I said, my voice becoming uneven. I wasn't going to cry, damn it. Not in front of Saitoh. My feet fumbled as I tried to back away. "Fine." For a second, Aoshi moved to reach out to me, but hesitated, looking to his side instead. "So that's it then, huh? Good enough to have sex with, but can't hold her own in a simple spying mission."

Aoshi said nothing. Saitoh's smile widened further. He was just eating this up like a bowl of kake soba. "Yes, that's right, Weasel. That's why you're the woman in the relationship. That is your place." He took a step forward, "Now go home and pine for his return. I promise not to keep him out late."

My arm was moving to punch him before I realized it. Everything went into it: my anger, my disappointment, and my fear. Everything. And he caught it. Of course he caught it, this was Saitoh Hajime of the Shinsengumi. He caught it with one hand no less, and smiled down at me with that sadistic smile of his. "Don't get angry with me," he said in a very amused voice. Using my hand as leverage, he pulled me back towards him and then twisted my body around so I was facing the opposite direction while my arm was locked behind my back. He twisted my fist in an unnatural direction. I let out a whimper of pain. "This is for your own good, Weasel."

But I wasn't paying attention to him. My thoughts were locked on Aoshi, who still did not make a move or voice for Saitoh to stop. In the past, when Saitoh had gone too far with me, Aoshi would stop him. But now... he sat there like the catatonic Aoshi I had grown to hate. Even while Saitoh held me in a lock hold, he did nothing.

Saitoh released my hand and pushed me towards the direction of which I had come from. "Get lost."

My feel stumbled as they tried to find footing, but couldn't. I felt my body hit the ground near some bushes, but I couldn't see anymore. Tears had welded up in my eyes and I had no desire to wipe them away. What was Aoshi doing? Didn't he care about me? Didn't he love me?

Even if I wanted to follow them after that, I couldn't. Both Saitoh and Aoshi took more precaution than before when sneaking away. It seemed as they almost wanted me to follow them before, just so they could make a fool of me. I pushed myself off the ground. My face was warm with tears, but I had since stopped crying. Nothing left to do, I headed back towards the Aoi-ya, cradling the arm that Saitoh had twisted in my other arm. A passerby might have thought me to be insane, as I continued to mutter to myself. When did Aoshi and the wolf get so buddy-buddy? Was it really necessary to twist my arm around like that? I hoped they got caught spying on Daidouji and Saitoh was beaten to death. Aoshi could survive, but he had to have some beating done to him too.

I was in such a wreck that it took me longer than it should have to realize that _I_ was being followed. Suddenly a pair of footsteps other than my own was echoing through the streets. And even though it was not late enough for the streets to be deserted, it was quieter than normal. I paused in my stride, calling out to the person behind me, "If you came to apologize, you can just forget about it. No man could have watched a woman he loved hurt like that and say nothing."

"Oh, but give me a chance to." That was not the voice of Aoshi. I whirled around to face the stranger behind me. In his white immaculate suit, it seemed as almost he was glowing in the moonlight. The street lantern’s fire gave his face the show of a demon, but the brightness of his suit promised an angel.

I sucked my teeth and took a defensive step backwards. "Daidouji."

He chuckled. "Guilty as charged. But I'm not here to talk about me. No Misao-san, I came here to talk to you."

"There is nothing I want to talk to you about," I said, trying to get to my kunai. Because I had thought I was going spying, I brought an extra set along with me. My weapons ready in my hands, I glared at the gaijin-wannabe.

Frowning playfully, he made a _tut tut_ sound. "There's no need for violence, Misao-san. After all, you want to keep Shinomori and the police dog alive, don't you? Lower your weapons and let us chat." My eyes widened in surprise. I hastily dropped my kunai to the ground. "Oh yes, I know that they are coming to spy on my fort, trying to see a glimpse of me. After all, it was I who leaked the information to the Kyoto police about my returning tonight. Little did they know I followed you and Shinomori back to Kyoto last week." He let out an amused laugh. "Quite busy you two have been since then, hm?"

I visibly twitched, "Spying on us again, Daidouji?"

"Couldn't be helped, I'm afraid," he shrugged. "I had to try and find some sort of weakness."

A smile formed on my lips, "Well then you are wasting your time, because Aoshi doesn't have one. And when he does find you, and trust me he will, he's going to kick your sorry little ass all the way back to Tokyo."

"No weaknesses, huh?" He started walking towards me, I backed up defensively, fumbling for the extra set of kunai I brought along. They must have fallen out of my sash when Saitoh pushed me to the ground. I cursed under my breath, keeping my eyes on Daidouji. Whatever he was planning I didn't like it. "Well then, I might as well pack up my belongings and head back, forgetting about this whole vengeance thing, shouldn't I?" He brought his hidden gun out from behind his jacket pocket. I gasped as he pointed it, one handed, straight at me. "But then again..."

"What do you want?" My voice was trembling as my eyes darted to the kunai I dropped when Daidouji had threatened me. Could I make it to them in time? Perhaps... but with a gun pointed at you, the last thing you want to do is try and move away, because that gun is just going to move with you and then be fired.

"You are going to give dear Shinomori a message for me."

He was just threatening me with the gun. If he wanted to give Aoshi a message, then he wouldn't kill me. My defenses lowered a little bit, but were still on high alert. A twisted smile appeared on his face as he brought out a hidden tanto with his free hand. Of course, I was too focused on the gun to see it until it was too late.

A hot rush of pain shot through me like a bat out of hell. Spots blurred my vision as I found it hard to stand up. No longer a problem, as my body fell to the ground, unable to support itself. My hands pushed on the ground, trying to stabilize the rest of me, but all I felt was hot, sticky, blood. He had stabbed me close to my abdomen, as much as I could tell, as all of the pain was forming from there. Finally able to push myself up, I forced myself to keep walking. I had to get to safety. I had to warn Aoshi and Saitoh that Daidouji knew they were coming. I had to stop the bad guy. I finally arrived at the Aoi-ya doorway, with all those thoughts in my mind. A few screams and gasps of surprised swirled together as I once again found it hard to stand. I had to warn Aoshi and Saitoh. I had to. 

But even with those thoughts tossing in my head, the only thing I could manage at that crucial moment, was to pass out.


	14. Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Please stay the way you are."

Noises flowed together in the swirl of haze. Colors spinning along with echoes. The sounds around me only confused me further. I heard murmurs of hidden secrets, whispers of reassurance, and plain shouting. They blended together as my mind swayed back and forth. Either the whole room was moving, or I was. And since I was quite sure I didn't have any control over my body, it had to have been the room.

My whole body was hot, but the room was cold. Gelled sweat clung to my body. I felt weak... weaker than I ever felt in my entire life. There was nothing I could grasp to for support, nothing that was holding onto me.

Was I dead?

Perhaps that was why reality was as surreal as it seemed. I tried to move, tried to do something to try and solve this mystery. My hand twitched. Suddenly another hand was holding it, something wiping my brow saying that it was going to be all right. _Don't move,_ the voice said. _Just don't move, Misao._

Perhaps I was not dead after all.

"Aoshi... don't... go... trap..." I managed to push out of my throat. It took most of my energy, but I had to warn them. I had to. I could think of nothing else but to warn them. If I was to die, then at least I had tried my best to warn them.

_Shhhh,_ the voice told me. _Don't speak, Misao. You need to rest._

Who was I to argue with an order so tempting as that? Trying to let go of the pain, I forced myself not think about the whatever wounds I had, but instead to focus on the darkness that surrounded me as I shut my eyes. The darkness. The darkness.

_Go home._

_This is for your own good, Weasel._

The darkness was no better than the light.

When I woke up for the second time, sunlight was shining down on my face. It was the brightness of the light that woke me. I slowly opened my eyes to find myself in my room. The spinning had stopped, and was replaced by extreme pain. Accidentally moving too fast, I gasped out a hiss of pain. Slowly, I removed the blanket that was on top of me to reveal my entire upper body wrapped in bandages. On my right side, the bandages were stained dark brown with dried blood.

Slowly, I remembered everything that happened. Aoshi and Saitoh had sent me away. Daidouji came from behind. Daidouji stabbed me. And then I stumbled home, clutching my side. A trail of blood followed me through the streets of Kyoto.

I had expected to see more blood on other parts of my body, as I had walked several meters with my wound gushing with thick blood. Someone must have washed me in my sleep. Gently, I traced my wound with my finger. I flinched as the wound reopened, blood spreading further amongst the white wrappings. I was alive, that much was certain. If the dead feel as much pain I did at the moment, then death was not worth all of the hype.

The door to my room slid open. In the corner of my eye I saw Jiya walk in, a solemn look on his face. He was carrying a tray with a steaming bowl of miso soup, a wash cloth, and a bowl of hot water to clean my wounds with. He quickly put the tray down and hurried to my side saying, "Misao-chan! Don't move around! You'll open the wound again."

"Too late," I replied painfully. Wincing, I tried to get back into the comfortable position I was in before, but alas, I couldn't find it. The throbbing in my side made it impossible to settle down.

Jiya placed his hands upon my back, trying to ease my pain and help me lay down once again. Sucking his teeth, he replied, "You shouldn't have gone. You shouldn't have gone."

"But I did. What's done is done." I said, closing my eyes as my head gently was laid upon the makura. I winced again as a shot of pain went through my body. Blocking out pain was never one of my strong points. It took me everything I had to not scream in pain. Slowly, as if I moving slowly would stop the pain, I opened my eyes again and looked Jiya in the eye. "How bad is it?"

He let out a deep breath. "You were lucky, that much is for sure. Nothing vital was pierced. The doctor said that if the wound had been any deeper, you would have died. However, you lost a lot of blood. You've been out for three days." He reached out to me, letting his thumb trace my forehead. "We weren't sure you were going to wake up again."

I attempted a smile. "You know I'm made of stronger stuff than that, Jiya."

He nodded. Once again, his attention turned towards the new rush of blood from my side. He got up from the floor. "I will get some new bandages right away. Try not to move, please?"

"Yes, yes." I waved my hand impatiently, pretending I wasn't agonizing in pain.

My eyes rolled up as I closed my eyes. The shoji door to my room shut. I could hear Jiya's padded footsteps hurry away. I must have dozed off, because just as soon as I heard Jiya rush off, I heard my room door slide open again. I kept my eyes closed, as it helped me keep my mind off the pain. In the darkness I could imagine myself on a beach, relaxing-- with the waves crashing around me. Yes. Nice things, and not bleeding things.

A tray was placed on the floor beside me. I could sense that the visitor sat down next to me. The shifting of his clothes echoed through the silent room like an avalanche. It was the way the hands touched me that let me know that it was indeed NOT Jiya tending to my wounds. If he ever touched me that way, he would never again see the light of day. My eyes shot open to see none other than Aoshi sitting above me. His face was tense, and it looked as if he had not slept in many days. "Aoshi," I said, trying to not sound too bitter or angry.

He looked at me in silence for a few seconds before wrapping his arms carefully around me. I winced again as I felt more blood come out from my wound. But this pain I could handle. "Thank goodness," he whispered into my ear softly. "Thank goodness."

"Please let go of me, Aoshi." As much as I wanted him to wrap his arms around me at that moment, there was still the fact that I had been injured, albeit indirectly, by him. And with more than just steel. The bitter words spoken to me the last time I saw him were not forgotten in the least.

I could feel his entire body flinch as I told him to release me. Perhaps my voice sounded colder than I thought at that moment. Slowly, he helped me sit up. Unblinking and haunting. "I shall tend to your wounds then," he said, as if nothing had happened. Once again, his hands brushed against my skin-- but this time without the passion. Still, I could feel my nipples harden under his touch. No, I told my body, this was not the good touching.

It seemed to take forever to get the wound unwrapped. In the stiff silence between the two of us, I yearned to be unconscious again. Finally, I saw the raw skin, the blood, the wound. Jiya was right. If it had been any deeper, it would have been adios! Misao. Although, I doubt that's what Daidouji wanted. He said he wanted me to give Aoshi a message, not that he wanted to kill me. And Daidouji seemed like one of those assholes that would announce when he planned to kill you, just so he looked that much tougher before you kicked his ass. I sucked my teeth as Aoshi's hand accidentally grazed the wound as he used the water left by Jiya to clean the new blood. Again, he flinched. "Sorry."

"It's okay. Just an accident, right?"

"Yes," he said, beginning to rewrap my wound. Holding the end of the bandage against my stomach, he began to wrap around, tight enough for the bandages to be affective, but not so tight that it aggravated my wound further. I could tell that Aoshi had done this before. Knotted and secure, my bandages were white once again. "Forgive me," he said once again.

"I told you it's okay, Aoshi," I said, trying to sound reassuring. The quicker he accepted that I accepted his apology, the quicker he would leave. After all, I was still furious with him. "I hurt myself more than that waking up."

"I did not mean about that, Misao. I'm sorry about what happened that night."

I looked directly at him, now letting the bitterness into my voice. "Oh, the night I got stabbed?" Blunt, but to the point.

He looked away at that, eyes locking onto the floor. "Yes, then. I-"

"Don't even start this, Aoshi. You kept pushing away, trying to keep me safe." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, locking out the pain that was surging in my side. "And what happened? Huh? I got hurt."

"I did not mean for this to happen, Misao. I was trying to protect you."

My eyes shot open. "Protect me by sending me away, by myself? What sort of sense does that make?" I took another deep breath. "Okay, I admit that my guard was down, and I should have sensed Daidouji before then, but it was only because I was so distracted by what you and Saitoh had said to me!" My wound was throbbing now, and I didn't care. I could feel the blood flowing through the bandages. My side was wet and sticky again. But it was not the time to point out that Aoshi had to wrap me again.

Letting out a sigh, Aoshi closed his eyes. "I realize that, now."

"You didn't even try to stop him," I said in a much quieter voice. "He said such cruel things to me... hurt me... and you did _nothing_." 

"I thought that if Saitoh was brisk enough with you, you would return to the Aoi-ya where it would be safe. So you would not be hurt..."

"But I was hurt, Aoshi. Daidouji stabbed me with his very own knife." I closed my eyes again, seeing the twisted look on Daidouji's face once more as he threatened me with his gun. I was so stupid not to realize he wasn't going to shoot me. If I had thought less about the gun, then I might have seen the tanto in his other hand. "I'm so pathetic," I cried, bringing my hands up to my face. "What kind of Oniwabanshu am I, if I couldn't even sense him being there?"

"You just said your guard was down."

"But it shouldn't have been," I snapped back. "I shouldn't have been such a fool to let the situation distract me so much." Tears were streaming down my cheeks now. There was no use of trying to control them, either. My pent up frustrations were coming to light now. "Had you been in the same situation, the results wouldn't have been the same." 

I felt his hand brush the side of my face. I pulled away from my hands, looking up to him. His eyes were glittering. Intense. He actually looked concerned. It was not an emotion I often saw from Aoshi.

I continued, paying him no mind. The thoughts that had been rolling in my head all this time were finally voiced to the real world. "But because I acted like such a fool... Maybe everyone is right and I should act more grown up... Like a proper woman should."

And that's when the ice cracked. Suddenly Aoshi's arms were wrapped around me once more, this time careful of my wounds. He brought his hand to cradle the back of my head. "Please stay the way you are," he whispered. " _This_ is the Misao that I love, and no other."

My heart pounded in my throat. Had he just said...?

I collapsed into his chest, wrapping my arms around him tightly. He had said it. He finally had said it.

He loved me.

Okay, so I had known he had for a long time now... or at least had a good suspicion. After all, he and I did have sex... on numerous occasions, but never had he actually _told_ me that he loved me. Whenever I would tell him that, he would just look the other way, or kiss me on the forehead, always leaving me in anticipation of a reply. But now...

He pulled back from me, the slightest smile on his face. Gently, with his right hand, he caught my tears on his fingertips. "Do not cry... eyes so precious to me..." He kissed me on the forehead, "I am so sorry for what I did, Misao," I opened my mouth to protest, but he quieted it by placing his finger on my mouth. "Even if it was Saitoh who dealt the blows, I still allowed it to happen. You will never know the living hell these past three days have been for me. I thought you had..." his voice cracked as he shook his head. "I was a fool to think that pushing you away was a good idea." He tightened his grip around me, "I just wanted to protect you from... everything."

"Oh Aoshi," I sobbed, trying to control my crying and failing at it. When he went about pouring his stone heart like that, how could I possibly continue to be cruel to him? Although the stabbing incident was not forgotten, I could tell in his voice that he felt incredibly guilty. And guilty Aoshi meant brooding Aoshi. I had just begun to bring him out of the pit of despair that he had buried himself in when our friends had died. He felt sorry for what happened, and even though I dropped the subject now, I still hadn't whole heartedly forgave him for what happened. But he could believe that I did. Shaking my head, I lightly traced the bottom of his chin with my right hand, "Can you forgive me for being a fool to doubt your feelings for me?"

He blinked, "There was doubt?"

"Oh you--" I steamed. However, when I moved to bat him on the head, I aggravated my wound. I hunched over, holding my wound tightly, letting out a howl of pain. Gritting my teeth, I glared at him, "I'll get you, Shinomori Aoshi."

"Take a number," he replied, amused. Putting his hand on the small of my back, he helped me sit up again. "Now," he said with a sigh as he unwrapped the bandages he had just finished putting on. "Let's not make any _more_ sudden movements. I do not think we have enough bandages for you to continue to need them be refreshed, Misao."

I smiled, despite the pain. "You know you just like seeing me with my shirt off."

He wrapped the bandage around me a few times, and then commented quietly, "Yes, because it is really hard for me to make you do that."

I glared at him. "You've been around Saitoh too much lately."


	15. The Pseudo Wolf, the Pseudo Wife, and the Real Problem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "And this is why you do not get women involved, Shinomori."

The smoke emitting from the single cigarette in his hand was beginning to itch my eyes. If I could, I would have scratched the hell out of them until there was no itching left. But then again, there would be no eyeballs left either. The smirk on his face was intangible. Why did I get the feeling that he was always mocking me, no matter what he did? Perhaps that's because it was true.

"So you are leaving Kyoto."

He sounded amused.

Aoshi didn't look one bit pleased. Narrowing his eyes, he replied, "Yes."

Saitoh blew a puff of smoke directly into my face. I coughed as the toxins soaked into my lungs. "I wish you would make up your damn mind, Shinomori. Leave Kyoto, come back to Kyoto... Trying to keep track of you has become absolutely exhausting."

"I can not hold off on our departure."

"Our?" the wolf asked, raising an eyebrow at me. "You're bringing the Weasel here as well?" He looked me over with his eyes, looking like he was about to burst into laughter. I really hate Saitoh. I've hated him ever since we met-- but there are times, like this, that I really, truly, hated him. "This couldn't be just because of that little incident a week ago, could it?"

I finally found the balls to speak up. "I was stabbed, Saitoh!"

Once again, the amused face. "I still don't see what the problem is."

"Why you!" I was about to beat the living shit out of him, but Aoshi held me back, shaking his head.

Another puff of smoke in my direction. "Little girl, if people ran away after one person got stabbed, we would have never had the Bakumatsu no Douran, nor would your lover boy here be the man he is today. Or _was_ , I should say. What he is suggesting is the mindset of a coward." He smirked, amused with himself. "After all that big talk with the Battousai on being the strongest and never giving up, he leaves town after a stupid girl does something stupid. Hiding behind what happened to the Weasel only makes you more weak, Shinomori."

"Call me whatever you wish, but I will not allow Misao to be in danger any longer."

Saitoh pointed his cigarette hand at Aoshi. "Look here, Shinomori. It was your idea to involve her with this. I agreed only because you guaranteed that she would be able to take care of herself, no matter what circumstances. And then when she finally is in danger, I do you the favor of helping her to safety. It's not my fault that she is completely useless."

"Hey!-" I tried to interject, but it was pointless.

"No matter where you go, he will find you. Don't you think that if he _really_ wanted to kill Weasel girl here, he would have done it then?"

Aoshi hesitated. "If the blade had gone any deeper-"

"I don't think he didn't want to kill me," I said. Both men froze and looked at me curiously.

Surprised, Aoshi asked, "What did you say, Misao?"

"I said he didn't want to kill me. If he wanted to kill me, he would have shot me with his gun that he had pointed to my head."

"He had a gun?" Saitoh asked, suddenly interested in what I had to say. "But you were stabbed." I nodded. "Interesting. That means he stabbed you for a reason... he wanted you alive. Why?"

I thought back to the night that I was trying to forget. Leave it to Saitoh to not take people's feelings into consideration. "He said he wanted me to deliver a message."

"Which was?"

It hadn't occurred to me until that very moment that Daidouji had never actually _told_ me the message that he wanted Aoshi to have. Or if he had, I had not heard it from the blacking out and all. Oh shit, did that mean that we were in some additional kind of danger?! What if Daidouji had told me something very important that might save our lives?! Ohhhhh stupid Misao! How could you not remember to actually listen to what his message was!

Aoshi and Saitoh were staring at me blankly now. I wondered how long I had been fretting over Daidouji's message. Clearing my throat with a cough, I said, "I don't know."

Both men deflated. " _You don't know,_ " Saitoh repeated. "You almost lose your life over this stupid message that he wants Shinomori to have, and you don't know?"

"I don't think he ever told me what the message was..." I mused, shrugging my shoulders. My wound stung me because of that quick movement. Note to self: don't do that anymore. "I have no recollection of him ever actually giving me a _message_ , per say. He told me that you two were heading into a trap, and that he was already in Kyoto. He just gave false information to the police about him arriving that evening."

Saitoh ran his perfect white-gloved hand through his hair as he let out a sigh of frustration. "We figured that on our own when we arrived at his hideout. The tightest security for a simple weapons dealer I had ever seen." He brought his cigarette up to his mouth and inhaled a drag. "So, let me get this straight... Daidouji follows the both of you to Kyoto, finds Weasel here and says he has a message, stabs her, and then doesn't tell her a fucking message. Have I understood this correctly?" 

"Perhaps, her stabbing was the message," Aoshi observed, looking at me with the most pain filled face I had ever seen from him. It was as if he already imagined me lying dead before him. I could see the weakness now. _I_ was Aoshi's one weakness... and Daidouji had figured that out.

Saitoh exhaled, a cloud of smoke coming out of his mouth. "And this is why you do not get women involved, Shinomori. This is what I warned you about. If you had listened to me in the first place, then we wouldn't be in this predicament now." Looking up at Aoshi, glaring, the wolf said, "Daidouji knows he can hurt you by hurting her. Now what, _Okashira_? Still plan to run away?"

"Stop it," I snapped, looking at the forlorn expression on Aoshi's face. "Don't you think you've rubbed it in enough?" Turning to Aoshi, I put my hand on his arm and gently explained, "It's my fault I'm involved, Aoshi. I forced this upon you-- I made you take me with you."

Chuckling under his breath, Saitoh covered his face with his hand. "Aww how cute. She's trying to make him feel better with putting the blame on herself."

"I said, shut up, Saitoh!"

But Saitoh wasn't even paying me any mind. He was staring at Aoshi, trying to perceive what he was thinking. "You know what? Run away like the coward that you are. Get the both of yourselves killed. The world would be rid of two idiots and whatever idiot kids you might have had from all of that fucking you do." That finally sparked a reaction out of Aoshi. Before I knew it, Aoshi had the wolf's neck in his hand. But Saitoh was laughing. "What are you going to do, Shinomori? Kill me? You might have had the guts a few weeks ago, but you've become a pussy right in front of my eyes." Aoshi tightened his grip, but Saitoh continued to speak. "You think she'll be safe some place else? He'll kill her just the same." Saitoh's eyebrows furrowed, "And then, maybe, your brain will return to its rightful place, instead of your dick."

With a slight grunt, Aoshi threw Saitoh, by his neck, into the opposite corner of his office. At any other time, I probably would have enjoyed the sight of Saitoh curled in a corner, coughing and grasping for breath. However, it wasn't at that moment. Aoshi stalked out of the office, stomping as he did so. I moved to go after him, and then hesitated. My vision went back to Saitoh on the floor. Poor bastard, all he did was tell Aoshi the truth. I could see what Saitoh was trying to warn us of now. And from the reaction from Aoshi, he did as well.

Offering my hand to Saitoh, I chortled, "You know, sometimes, you go too far."

"With your _Aoshi-sama_ , I have to before he'll actually listen," he said, taking my hand. Standing over me, he smirked down and added, "You, of all people, should know that."

"Too true." Sighing, I looked down to the floor. "Is there any way that he and I..."

He shook his head, "Your Shinomori takes things to one extreme or the other, just like that bloody Battousai. Shinomori might think he's hiding his emotions in that mask of his, but he wears his emotions on his sleeve."

"No, he doesn't," I retorted, shaking my head.

"Oh, but he does." Saitoh smirked, "If you know how to read them, that is."

I let go of Saitoh's hand and walked towards his office door. "Now you're just playing with me."

"Believe what you will, Weasel," he called. "But you and I both know if this continues, he's going to get himself killed."

I stopped dead in my tracks. "Aoshi is very strong."

"And what do you think will happen to that strength if you died?" Saitoh asked. Saitoh walked back over to his desk and sat down with a loud sigh. Lighting a cigarette, he continued, "When you were stabbed the other week, what do you think he did? He hovered over you, blaming everything on himself-- when, I might add, the entire incident was _your_ fault."

"If you two hadn't chased me off--"

"If you hadn't shown up in the first place, you would have been fine." He took the cigarette out of his mouth and exhaled. A grin formed on his face. "Or perhaps not... Perhaps Daidouji was coming to the Aoi-ya to kill you. We can never know for certain. What is certain was what happened. And the result is what scares you enough to stay in this office and talk to me.

"The man that challenged the Battousai to the death is different from the man that is living in the Aoi-ya today. You might want to pretend he hasn't changed since you visited Kobe, but the truth is there Weasel."

Snorting, I crossed my arms against my chest. "So if he's so different, why did you even ask for our help in the first place?"

"There is no _our_ , Weasel. I asked for _his_ help." He put his cigarette out on the ashtray on his desk. "You had to go butt into his business."

"I'm the Okashira."

"And as a leader, you should understand that some missions are best done solo. Or better yet, you should have realized that you would have just gotten in the way. A good leader knows his strengths and weaknesses. Shinomori used to."

Enraged, I slammed my hands on his table and leaned over. "What do you suggest I do, oh wise one, then, huh?" I shouted. I had just enough of his belittling. He might have had a point, but the way he was getting to it was just plain aggravating.

Saitoh leaned over the table as well, "Do something about it."

"What?"

Saitoh slid back down into his chair, grabbing another cigarette from the case on his desk. "I suppose asking you to leave him would be out of the question."

"Yes it would," I said, standing up straight again.

"For the both of you, I suppose. Ickle Shinomori won't be able to function properly without his fuck-bunny."

Reeling with my pent up anger still, I shouted, "It's more than that!" I looked away from Saitoh and, in a quiet voice, explained, "I love him."

Another puff of smoke. "Ah, but the question is-- what do you love? The man that he's pretending to be, or the real warrior within him?" I turned to him, my eyes wide. "Oh yes. If you think the warrior Shinomori Aoshi is gone, you are sadly mistaken. He is putting up a farce, to appease you."

I blinked, trying to let it soak in. "A farce?"

"Listen well, Weasel," he said, pointing to me. "It is possible to love a warrior without destroying everything in your lives. But it takes years to manage a balance. Only after years of work have Tokio and I become the way we are. But the first step is to accept the real man. Because until you can accept that, you cannot claim his love. And _then_ he has to accept the real you." 

"Are... Tokio-san and you happy?" 

Saitoh nodded. 

I smiled slightly and asked, "Do you have any kids?"

Saitoh raised an eyebrow, "You're kidding, right? Mibu's wolf? Having children? Come on, Weasel, I thought you would have more brains than that."

My voice was quieter now. Since Saitoh was being so open and- _cough_ -helpful, I supposed now would be a good time to ask something that had been itching the back of my mind. "Do you... think-- Aoshi and I, I mean-- do you think---"

His eyes widened, "God, no. I can't see Shinomori wanting a house full of Weasels. One is enough, don't you think?"

I twitched, holding back my urge to punch him in the face.

"I'm not saying to not go after Shinomori. But now is not the time. All of your lives are on the line, so I'll ask you once more to not distract him anymore. Do what you have to, but Shinomori has to be prepared for the possible battle against Daidouji."

I stood there for a few minutes, staring at the floor. "You'll... make sure he doesn't get hurt, won't you?"

Blowing a cloud of smoke into my face, the wolf grinned. "On my honor-- although you probably doubt that as well, hm? Now, you should go after him before he goes and does something stupid- like go after Daidouji all by himself. But remember: no distractions."

Nodding, I walked to the door once again. Putting my hand on the door, I looked back one last time. An evil thought had entered my mind. Now was the time to get some revenge for embarrassing me earlier. "Oh, and just to let you know, we're using bamboo tissue paper now."

Saitoh looked thoroughly disturbed. "That's something I could have went without knowing, Weasel."


	16. Borderline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You pushed me into this, Misao, and now I won't back out."

Only a fool would have expected Aoshi to be waiting outside of the police station, patiently, as I talked to the wolf that he just almost killed. It was absolutely stupid to think that he would stick around to make sure I got back to the Aoi-ya all right, since I _had_ been stabbed only a week before, and shouldn't really have been moving around that much.

But I never said I wasn't a fool.

I cursed under my breath when I exited the building and saw no looming Aoshi waiting to carry me back to the Aoi-ya. After all, he had been the one to give me the long speech before we left that morning on how I really shouldn't have been moving around, and that I would open the wound again, and I would get it infected, blah, blah, blah. And here he was, leaving me by my lonesome to fend for myself to get home.

Not able to run with my healing wound, Aoshi already had an advantage over me. Not only did he have a five-minute start, but also he probably was pacing very furiously through the streets of Kyoko. Sighing, I started on the way home, trying to walk as fast as I possibly could without it hurting too much. When I tried to break into a stride, my side shot with pain, so I stopped. There would be nothing but walking for me.

When I actually found Aoshi, he was walking up the steps to the Aoi-ya. Aggravated and abandoned, I called after him, "Aoshi! Aoshi, wait up!" He chose to ignore me, which angered me further. I threw a spew of nasty words at him, which turned the heads of some of the people in the street. He walked silently into the building and walked without stopping, despite my yelling. I could only assume that Saitoh had been correct in thinking that Aoshi was going to go directly after Daidouji.

Walking into the Aoi-ya, I was immediately met with Omasu, hands at her hips and her lips pursed. "Makimachi Misao! Why are you out of your bed? You should be resting!" Even though I was clearly ignoring her, she continued, "What the hell is going on? What was all of that ruckus outside of the building? You will give us a bad reputation if you-"

"Not now, Omasu-" I said, pushing her aside. I ignored her objections ("HEY!") and continued through the restaurant. Pacing to the only place Aoshi could have gone.

His room.

And there he was, kneeling on his floor, in silence. His back was to me. He made no vocal comment to me, even though I slammed his door loud enough for him to know that I was there. It appeared as if he was meditating, but his body was too tense for him to actually be doing that. "What the hell is wrong with you?" I asked, hands on my hips.

"Excuse me for my quick departure."

I took a few steps into his room, "You're damn right that was a quick departure. What happened to 'stick by my side, Misao?'"

Still, he replied with a very low amount of anger. But considering this was Aoshi that we were talking about, a showing of any anger was a pretty large sum. "I had to get out of there before I did something I regretted." 

My footsteps echoed through his room as I walked towards him. Very slowly, I knelt to the floor, facing his backside, and wrapped my arms around him. "I'm sorry..." I whispered into his ear.

"It is not you who upset me, Misao." His voice was hoarse, as if he was trying to bottle up that anger that had been raging wild in Saitoh's office. At least that meant that I didn't have to worry about getting strangled. Yet.

Nestling my head in-between his neck and shoulder, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in. "That's not what I was apologizing for," my voice was still very quiet, but loud enough for him not to strain to hear. "I'm sorry because until you left Saitoh's office, I believed that I loved you-"

"And you do not now, because you have now seen the real monster that I am. Wonderful. Now please leave me be."

Shaking my head, I murmured, "That's not it at all, Aoshi."

"Then _what_ is _it_ , Misao?" Now his anger was directed at me. It was the same tone he had used with Saitoh in his office. If I wasn't careful, he was going to strangle me.

Slowly, I stood up and walked around Aoshi, looking down at him. I knelt to the floor, so our faces were almost parallel. Now was the time to tell him that I loved him, but we couldn't see each other anymore. _Yeah, go on and tell him that, Misao._ Swallowing hard, I looked him directly in the eyes. And stopped. Suddenly, my heart was pounding against my eardrums. The words I was about to tell him, the words that would break my heart as I said them, disappeared. All that was left was the raw, overexposed, passion that I felt for him. I dropped to the floor, lunging myself against him. His back stiffened, trying to keep the both of us sitting up. Tears were forming in my eyes. It didn't matter to me what Aoshi was. I loved this man, no matter what he did. Because I knew that he would always be there to make sure that I was standing, smiling. The smile only for him.

Lost within my own thoughts, I hadn't realized that I was sobbing quite loudly now, and that I was squeezing Aoshi very tightly. His arms were wrapped around me. "Misao?" he questioned, his voice full of concern.

I snapped out of my thoughts and pulled back away from him. I tried to smile, but it was hard. My face was burning from the tears and embarrassment. "I'm sorry."

"You said that already. Three times now."

"But for three different things," I reasoned, bringing my hands up to his mouth. "Aoshi," I said, trying to force all of the tears and uncertainty out of my voice. He put his large hands over mine. Not to take them away, but to hold them. His hands were cold, as they normally were. One of these days I was going to get him a pair of gloves. The room filled with a heavy silence, as we both stared into each other’s eyes. Finally, I moved my lips to speak. It took extra effort to actually make my voice work along with my lips. "Aoshi, you know how I feel about you... don't you?"

"Have I misunderstood something? Were you using me for cheap love all this time?" he asked, with a small smile.

I put one of my fingers over his mouth, "I'm not joking here." Although him kidding around like that was better than how he first was when I walked into the room. "I just want to make sure that you are... we are..." I turned my head away, trying to think of a good way to approach what Saitoh and I had spoke about. I wanted to know if it was true. The wolf had to be wrong. Damn, did I want him to be wrong. "Do you..." _Just come out with it, Makimachi!_ "Do you pretend you are someone else when you are with me?"

Aoshi blinked, "Pardon?"

"Do you put up a farce... a facade... for me? To try and be what I want." I was talking really fast now. It was a very personal thing to be asking him. I was basically accusing him of lying to me all this time. The feeling in the pit of my stomach was not a nice one. There was guilt there, oh yes, lots of it. And regret for actually gathering the gall to ask him that.

"Where did you--"

"Because you don't have to-" I blurted out. "Because I love you for my own reasons. You. Shinomori Aoshi." I pulled away from him then. I walked over to the other side of the room, my back to him. "I loved you even after you told me that you never wanted to lay eyes on me again..." Another taboo subject. Aoshi pre-Himura fight part 2. "And no matter what you do... or what you say... What I told you back in Kobe, is the truth. And up until a few minutes ago, I didn't realize the complete truth in that. I told myself over and over that I loved you, no matter what. But it wasn't until you... you scared me so much back there... but even then, I still loved you." I cradled my arms against my chest. I suddenly was very cold. Exposed. "I don't know whether it's foolish to love someone so blindly, or if this is..." _true love_ , I finished in my head silently. But, for some reason, I couldn't make myself say it out loud. 

And then arms were around me. Aoshi pressed his body against mine. Not in a sexual manner, but in the protective way that he used to do to Misao-chan when she got scared. "Misao..."

"Damnit," I cursed under my breath. "I'm doing it again."

"Doing what?"

I turned my head slightly, "Distracting you." Breaking his hold around me was one of the most painful things I have ever experienced. It was as if I was leaving behind a part of our love with him, to fall to the floor. To shrivel up and die. But I had to. For his sake. I turned around and looked him straight in the eyes. I wasn't going to forget this time. I had to tell him. I had to make him understand. "You must see it. I know you do." I let out a long breath. "Aoshi, I love you... very much. But we can't do this any longer."

"Wh-" 

"Don't," I said, putting my hand up. "Don't say anything. This is hard enough as it is. You and I..." I shook my head, "It was doomed to begin with. I used to love my ideal of you. I saw none of your faults, because in my memories you didn't have any. But now you are here... and we've spent so much time together in the last few weeks. I've seen your faults. And," I let out a small laugh, "I love the flawed man even more. My love grew into something tangible... But, to me, there are two personas trapped within your body. The hardened warrior and the smiling man who will hold me close after we make love. And, I think, inside you are at odds with yourself on whom you choose to be, because you clearly can't handle both.

"Emotionally, I'm worn out. I worry about you because you aren't acting how you used to. I feel guilty because I always think it has something to do with me. If something were to happen, like if Daidouji were to attack, I fear that you would put your own safety before mine. I just..." Tears had begun rolling down my face without realizing it. "I would rather you be safe than be mine. Because I couldn't bare to see you get hurt... ever." There was silence. The only thing I could hear was the beating of my heart. It was pounding against my chest like I had just run seven miles. "So... as Okashira, I order you to stay away from me as much as duties allow, until, at the least, the Daidouji case is closed."

Aoshi just stood there, arms at his side, staring at me. As if trying to decide whether I was joking or not. Or maybe he was trying to make sense of what I just said. I had dropped a lot on him at one time. It was amazing he wasn't taking notes to keep everything straight. Mapping out my little emotional tangent. "Can I say something, now?" I nodded. "Did Saitoh put you up to this? Because if he's worried about me being able to handle Daidouji--"

"This was my decision," I interrupted, lying. Well, only half of it was a lie. Saitoh had suggested that I break things off, but I had turned that idea down. But with the way Aoshi responded to me before, I had no choice.

"I see. So you finally realize my initial fears. Because this was exactly what I was talking about in Kobe. You told me it would not matter. That we should do the wrong thing. And now everything is just a mess." More silence. He lowered his head in thought. My heart continued to pound against my chest. "But to answer your question," he raised his head up again, meeting me in the eyes. "There is no facade between you and I. In fact, you are the first to truly see the real me since... in a long time." I knew what he meant. Before, when he had been Okashira himself-- or perhaps even before then. Before the heavy burden was put onto a fifteen-year-old's shoulders. 

I smiled. "That's good to know. But that still won't change my orders."

Shaking his head no, Aoshi retorted, "I did not think it would. You are a strong Okashira. Much stronger than I ever was." He took a step towards me. "I have heard your words, and understood them. However, if you wish for me to stay away from you after this case is over, I will have to be insubordinate. Not after all of this, I just can't give up. You pushed me into this, Misao, and now I won't back out." I cocked my head at him in question. His voice was becoming quieter with every word he said. 

"Because after this case... after Daidouji is caught... I want you to..."

"Want me to, what?" I asked, blinking.

He looked into my eyes with the most sincerity I had ever seen in those ice blue eyes of his. He grabbed my hand. Slowly, he bent down so the both of us were on eye level. He brought my hand up to his mouth, and lightly kissed it. "After all of this time, I have finally become honest with myself about my feelings for you. That is something I cannot simply let go of.

"What I mean to say... is that after this is all over... I want you to become my wife, Misao. My _real_ wife."


	17. Promises Unkept

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What I think you fail to realize is that there will always be some sort of danger surrounding us."

"After all of this time, I have finally become honest with myself about my feelings for you. That is something I cannot simply let go of.

"What I mean to say.. is that after this is all over... I want you to become my wife, Misao. My _real_ wife."

I felt as if all of the air in my chest had been kicked out by a ten-ton weight. No, he couldn't possibly just have asked me what I thought he did. He wasn't supposed to want to settle down and make a nice family with me. Aoshi was supposed to be angsting over our relationship until the last of our days. I lost my footing and fell to the floor. I was quivering uncontrollably. This couldn't have been real! This just couldn't have been happening to me!

Aoshi was by my side then, cradling me in his arms. "Are you all right, Misao?"

If I had planned to say anything that made sense, I failed miserably. All that came out of my mouth was a string of incompressible sounds that even I couldn't understand. I just clasped onto Aoshi's robes tightly, on the brink of ripping his clothes right off of that well built body of his.

"Is that a _no_?" he asked, looking more amused than I would have wanted him to be.

Pulling down harder on his robes, I finally managed to scream, "NO!"

Taken aback, Aoshi jerked his head away from me, looking slightly hurt. "Perhaps this was not the best time to ask you then. I understand, of course, if you do not wish to marry me. After all, you are very young and very able, I am sure you could find someone much more... of a man." He tried to put me down, but I just kept my solid grip on his clothes. "Misao-"

"No," I said again. I would not let go.

Aoshi sighed, "Yes, I understand that you said _no_. You do not have to keep repeating it to my face. It is hurtful to hear you say that, you understand?"

"No," would be my answer for the third time.

"No, you do not understand?" Aoshi asked, exasperated with this whole exchange. I was sure he was now regretting proposing to the psycho weasel girl and just couldn't wait to get rid of me and my stupidity.

I was beginning to sound like a child who only knew one word. "No."

"Misao-" he said through clenched teeth.

"No!" I pulled him in close then, my head against his chest. I could hear the sound of his heart pounding. I could smell his scent of green tea. I took a deep breath and simply said, "Mine."

"Excuse me?" he asked, thrown more off balance by that response.

And then suddenly everything came back to me. Speaking was not as difficult a task as it had been only seconds before then. I could clearly form sentences in my head. And finally, I could say: "You really are stupid."

Aoshi bent his head towards mine, almost smothering me. "I am stupid? I am not the one who cannot form sentences. I have at least been able to say more than one word for the last five minutes."

"You just... threw me off," my reply was muffled as it was spoken into his robe. Aoshi eased up then, letting me lift my head up and face him. "Here we were having a conversation about our relationship being distracting to our mission, and you go and propose to me. Couldn't you have found a better time?"

"What time would have been better, Misao? A month from now? A year? What I think you fail to realize is that there will always be some sort of danger surrounding us. And whether you distract me or not, whether I love you or not, that danger will still be there. It might not be in the form of Daidouji, but there will always be something. So ask me to stay away all you want, but this would be as good a time to ask you to be my bride as any." There was that feeling again. A shiver went through my body. I let out a loan moan. Aoshi looked at me, a little worried, "Misao?"

"Say it again, Aoshi."

"Say what again?" he asked, blinking.

"About me being your bride." I explained through clenched teeth. 

Now he was smiling. "Pardon?"

Clenching my teeth, I pinched his cheek. Hard. "You are ruining the moment, Aoshi!" I whined.

"It was ruined long before then," he replied.

We both looked at each other and laughed. Yes, Aoshi laughed! Oh I really love seeing him laugh. It makes him look like he's five years old. Not that I ever saw him when he was five years old-- he is ten years older than me, after all-- but I'm getting off the subject here! 

He stopped laughing, and instead just stared at me with those intense eyes of his. "So?" he asked.

"So, _what?_ " I pretended not to know what he was talking about. And if you listened carefully, you could hear a blood vessel in his head pop. "Oh yes," I said, with a big smile. "You asked me if I would marry you."

"Although I am beginning to regret that choice," Aoshi replied, rolling his eyes. Offended, I hit him in his chest with a loud "HEY!" He began to laugh again and shake his head, "I am only joking Misao. Would you like me to ask again? In plainer words?" Bringing his face breaths away from mine, he whispered, "Will you marry me, Misao?"

"Yes," I whispered back. My mouth curved into an uncontrollable smile as my hands wrapped around his head and brought him in for one of the most passionate kisses we two had ever shared.

"I'm happy to see the both of you made up," a voice said from behind us.

We would really have to invest in a lock. Or at least learn to shut the door once in a while. 

Jiya was standing in Aoshi's open doorway, his arms crossed against his chest. His eyes were beaming of happiness, yet the grimace on his face told a different story. I pulled away from Aoshi and smiled, "Ah Jiya- you'll never guess what just happened." 

Jiya raised an eyebrow, "Aoshi kissing you is not a new thing to me. In fact you two do that quite often now... which scares my old mind."

Shaking my head, I explained, "No not _that_! Aoshi just proposed to me!"

"Really?!" The old man asked, blinking at Aoshi. Aoshi nodded. "Hrm," Jiya scratched the bottom of his chin. "This is news. Well perhaps we can talk about it later-- but first I need to see Misao-chan alone, Aoshi."

Aoshi nodded and then helped me up. I smiled at him and said, "I'm going to make you stay up late tonight, Aoshi."

"What happened to the _not seeing each other until this Daidouji business is over_?" 

Laughing nervously, a blush came over my face. "Well... we can just call a time-out on that, alright?"

"As my Okashira wishes," Aoshi replied with a kiss on my forehead.

I smiled at him, then. Not really wanting leave to his side, but knowing damn well that if I didn't leave to talk to Jiya, then there would be serious repercussions later. With a sigh, I turned and followed Jiya down the hall of the Aoi-ya to our meeting room. We walked in complete silence. Not something normal, between the two of us, really. There was a time that whenever we were together we would endlessly chat. But ever since Aoshi and I had returned from Kobe, the two of us had hardly shared a full conversation that didn't end in me shouting things at him. All he did was tell me what I was doing wrong. He just didn't understand what was going on between Aoshi and I. Okay, I didn't really have a very good handle on what was going on either-- but at least it was moving in a good direction. Hopefully. Marriage was the next step wasn't it?

My mind was so preoccupied with thoughts of marriage to Aoshi that I hadn't realized that Jiya and myself had reached the meeting room. He sat inside the room, staring at me, wondering why I hadn't sat down yet. With a nervous laugh, I entered into the room and sat on the opposite side of him. "Sorry about that."

"Your thoughts were wandering again," he warned. Like I said, nothing but criticism from the old man ever since I returned. "It's a dangerous state to be in Misao-chan."

"I said I was sorry, Jiya," I said with a sigh. "I'm sorry that I was kind of just jolted by the fact that Aoshi just _proposed_ to me. My mind is a little shot at the moment."

Placing a folded letter in front of me, Jiya replied, "It would be best for you to recover from that problem as quickly as possible."

"What's this?" I asked, picking it up.

"A report from the operatives we have tracking down Daidouji. It appears that Daidouji has once more moved his base." His eyes met with mine, "Read it."

Jiya's attitude was beginning to scare me. Even if he was upset with me, he was never this cold to me. Fumbling with the paper, I opened the letter. Scanning over it's contents, I found why Jiya was acting the way he was. " _Tokyo_?" I asked. "He's in Tokyo? Does this guy know how to stay in one spot?"

"Apparently not," Jiya said, taking the report out of my hands and refolding it. "Which is making it harder to keep tabs on him. He's switched bases at least three times since Aoshi and Saitoh 'visited' him last. I believe it is as Saitoh and Aoshi feared. Daidouji will probably be making a move against Himura next."

"But," I argued, "He hasn't _finished_ with Aoshi, right? I mean, Aoshi's not dead so why is he moving on?" I silently said my apologies to Aoshi. Not the happiest thoughts to be having really. But I would much prefer that Daidouji be attacking _us_ instead of Himura. Kaoru-san and he had a child now. The last thing they needed was Daidouji tracking them down for revenge.

Closing his eyes, Jiya sighed. His true age shone through at that moment. All the weight of worry pounded down on to his face. "It also could be a trap to lure Aoshi into the open."

"But Daidouji knows where we are!" I began to raise my voice. "This just doesn't make any sense to me! Why would he go after Himura? He didn't do _anything_!"

"Misao-chan, calm down. You know as well as I do that Himura also helped in the capture of Kanryuu as much as Aoshi did." The old man looked to his side, where the sliding door was open. Jiya's garden was in plain view, glowing in the sunlight pouring down on it. He sighed again. "Most likely Daidouji went after Aoshi first because he knew where to find him. Himura would have been harder to locate, correct? But now Daidouji has attacked you as well, which dealt a huge blow to Aoshi's state of mind. By attacking Himura, he could continue with his revenge, while probably drawing Aoshi out."

I couldn't just sit there any longer and listen to this! I had to warn Himura and help him fight. Standing up, I said, "I'm going to Tokyo, then!"

"By yourself?" Jiya asked. "I do not think that is safe--" As Jiya was saying his regular you'll-be-in-danger-don't-go-speech, the sharp pain in my side struck again. My balance faltered. "Nor do I think you are healthy enough," he added.

I held my side in stride. "Well then who else would go?" I asked through clenched teeth.

"Aoshi."

"No," I replied. "You just said that this might be a trap to lure Aoshi out. I can't let him go after hearing something like that." There would be no debate about it either. I wasn't going to send Aoshi to his death just because Jiya didn't want me to go. "I'm going, Jiya."

Sighing again, Jiya shook his head. "You think that Aoshi will just let you leave by yourself? Especially since you are still injured?"

I knelt to the floor now, my wound burning like crazy. But I tried to hold it in. If I was going to go to Tokyo, I would have to be strong. "Then I'll leave without him knowing," I retorted. "This is not your call, Jiya. I am the Okashira. And it is partially my fault that we are in the situation that we are in at the moment. I'll be the one to go and warn Himura-- and help him if need be."

Jiya stood and walked towards his garden. Before stepping out of the Aoi-ya, he said, "You are a fool. But I will not stop you from doing what you believe you must."

"I'll keep in touch," I said, looking up at him with a grin. "Every other day sound okay?"

Jiya shook his head. "Yes that is fine. I fear for the man who has to tell Aoshi that you left."

I laughed, "Yeah me too."

As the old man stepped into his garden, I pulled my hand away from the side to see that it was covered in blood. It appeared as if I had reopened my wound in all of this excitement. I eyed the back of Jiya's head, planning how I would be able to walk out of the room without him noticing that my top was becoming very saturated with blood. I decided to just make a break for it and risk him seeing. "Well I'll be off Jiya--" I called.

"Misao, wait!" he called.

I paused, but did not dare to turn around. I only hoped that no blood and seeped over to my backside. "Yes, Jiya?"

"I am happy for you and Aoshi," he offered. "Congratulations."

I smiled. "Thanks, Jiya." Without looking back, I walked back through the main hallway, towards my own room. I had an ample supply of bandages in there that I would be able to rewrap the wound with. I cursed myself for being so careless. Running through the streets, playing around with Aoshi-- I was just asking for this to happen.

Unfortunately for me, Aoshi saw me walk by, holding my side. "Misao?" he asked as he stepped out of his room. "Are you okay?"

"Uhh yeah..." I stuttered, praying that he would just go away. If Aoshi saw that I had reopened the wound he would not have left me alone for the night. Sure, it would be sweet that he would want to make sure that I was all right, but it would also prevent me from being able to leave for Tokyo tonight. "I'm fine, Aoshi."

Un-fooled, Aoshi paced over to me so he could face me. Instantly he noticed the stain of blood growing on my side. "Misao-"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," I waved my hand to try to shoo him away. I doubted it was going to work, but it was at least worth a shot. "Just aggravated it a little, that's all. I just need to-"

I didn't even get to finish my sentence. Aoshi had already picked me up from off the floor and was carrying me to my bedroom. So much for an easy break.

"Aoshi, really I'm fine. I can walk without a problem!" I protested, trying to squirm out of his grip, making the pain in my side even worse. I hissed in pain as a sharp pain shot through me.

"And this is why you should not fight me," he replied, grinning slightly. I was so glad that my pain was amusing him. Arriving in my bedroom, he gently put me down on the floor. I was still hunched over in pain, trying to put pressure on the wound. Bandages in hand, Aoshi commanded, "Take off your gi."

Still in pain, I looked at him with a grin, "Now's really not the time for that, Aoshi."

Exasperated, Aoshi forced my hand away from my side and undid the bow keeping my top shut. Carefully, he then slid my gi off of my shoulders, baring my chest to him. His fingers were cold as they slid down my forearms. I shivered in a combination of lust and discomfort. "A-Aoshi--" I stuttered. I tried to tell him that he really shouldn't touch me like that at the moment, but I couldn't bring the words out. Instead I just kept quiet as he unwrapped the bloody bandages.

Noting that most of the scab over the wound had broken, he scolded me, saying, "You really need to be more careful about this, Misao. If you keep reopening it like this, it will never heal. You don't want a huge scar like that for the rest of your life, do you?"

"But your scars are yummy, Aoshi," I teased.

He paused for a moment, and then proceeded to continue to wrap the wound. "I would prefer you to have flawless skin..."

Pouting, I asked, "Why? Would you no longer make love to me if a scar developed?"

"No, that is not what I mean, Misao," he said looking away. "I just would rather not be reminded every time you and I... are intimate... that I failed to protect you. To know that the one imperfection on your flawless skin was caused by me... it hurts me whenever I see it."

I put my hand on top of his, stopping him from wrapping further. "I'll be more careful," I reassured him. "So please stop blaming this entirely on yourself. We both were at fault." Bringing my lips towards his, I leaned by body towards him, closing my eyes. The two of us shared a soft butterfly kiss before Aoshi pulled back and continued to wrap the wound up. 

Once he was done, Aoshi set out my futon and carefully helped me lay down. "Now you stay there," he said, with the slightest smile on his lips.

Tugging on his yukata I said, "Only if you stay here awhile."

Rolling his eyes, he said, "If I must." In one swift movement, he was lying next to me, his head propped up with his left hand so he could face me. "You can be such a bother sometimes."

"I try," I shrugged.

Tracing my jaw with his free hand, he cooed, "You should get some rest now. And no more hard work for the remainder of this week."

I frowned, "Hey, I'm the Okashira here."

"Misao."

"Fine, fine," I sighed as I closed my eyes. "You'll stay with me tonight, right?"

I could feel his nose tickling the side of my face, "If you promise to be good."

Smiling, I answered, "But of course."

But I still fully intended on leaving for Tokyo that night. So I pretended to fall asleep, clutching my poor Aoshi's yukata close to me. It would probably be the last time I see him for a while, so I wanted to make sure I enjoyed every moment.

I only had to wait a few hours before Aoshi fell asleep. "Aoshi?" I asked.

A grunt was his answer.

I opened my eyes to darkness. Damn, it was probably later than I wanted to leave, but I would make due. Carefully unwrapping myself from Aoshi's hold, I stood up and looked down at him. He was still sleeping peacefully. I smiled. _No time to enjoy the scenery, Makimachi_ , I scolded myself. Quickly, I packed what few things I would need for the trip to Tokyo. A few changes of clothes, and extra kunai. Before I left my room, I took one last look at Aoshi. Looking so cute as he slept. He had now taken the mofu close to him, probably thinking it was me. A giggled a little before kneeling over him and kissing him on the forehead. "I love you, Aoshi."

"Ravyoutoo..." was the response I got from him, still sleeping.

With another smile, I stood up and headed for the kitchen to get a supply of food and water. Jiya was waiting for me. "I was hoping you were going to change your mind," he said, shaking his head.

"Not in a million years," I replied, packing some rice balls and a flask of water. "I have to let Himura know what's going on."

"Well you should at least take Aoshi with you."

I shook my head, "No way. He's already gone through enough during this whole thing." Walking over to the old man, I put forth a smile. "Come on Jiya, I'll be alright. Trust me."

"What choice do I have?" he said, sighing. "Here," he handed me the report that I had read earlier in the day, as well as all the supplemental information that we had on Daidouji and his gang. "Himura should read all of this so he can be prepared for whatever is coming."

I nodded. "Don't worry Jiya, we'll take care of this. I promise I'll be back in a few days."

"You better be," he warned. "I still need to have 'the talk' with you and Aoshi about your upcoming marriage." And then came the mischievous smile from Jiya that I was used to. He hugged me then, squeezing me a little too tight. "Come back."

"With bells on," I promised.

As I walked away from the Aoi-ya, I only had one regret uneasily sitting at the pit of my stomach. The night of my engagement, and I didn't even get to spend it with my new fiancé. _Fiancé_. Now _that_ was going to take some adjusting to.


	18. Allies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You are so very loud in the morning, Weasel."

I've never been a big fan of sleeping in the woods. For the many years that I was journeying to find Aoshi's whereabouts, I always tried my best to find an inn. My problem is all the noise at night. It was hard to get a good sleep while there are a million living things around you, making some sort of noise, not caring if you get sleep or not.

Up ahead I could see the city of Tokyo. The streetlights were still burning, and a few businesses were still open-- but for the most part, lights had been extinguished for the night. I could have tried to see if there was an inn open somewhere on the outskirts, but I was afraid of having to backtrack. There was also the fact that I did not want to be spotted. During the day, the streets were busy and it was easy to blend in. At night, I would have to sneak through town, and my tired body really didn't want to go through that. Himura would just have to wait until morning. I couldn't very well go to the Kamiya dojo right now and start banging on their door anyhow. They were most certainly asleep by now, and the last thing I wanted to do was wake up Kenji-kun.

So a dirt bed it was.

Sighing, I unpacked a blanket and pillow. The evening was on the cusp of fall, so it was a little chilly out-- but not so much that my teeth were chattering. My light blanket would be enough. I tried to find the most comfortable patch of grass that I could-- but it was grass. Even at it's most comfortable, it was filled with rocks and God knows what else. Making sure that neither my blanket, nor I could be seen from the trail, I laid my head on my buckwheat filled pillow and stared up at the stars. 

It had been five days since I had left for Tokyo. There was no sign of Aoshi yet. I had the sinking feeling that he would pop out at any minute and scold me for leaving without him. Without telling him. Without taking anyone with me. It had also been five days since Aoshi had proposed to me. Yes, he definitely was going to be very mad if-- no, _when_ , because there was no if in this matter--he caught up to me. I would never hear the end of it.

Before I realized it, I dozed off, with thoughts of an angry Aoshi dancing in my head.

The next morning, I jumped awake with a loud gasp. The last thing I remembered was thinking about how angry Aoshi was going to be at me. How I fell asleep to that thought, I had no idea.

A tingling sensation crept up my back. I was being watched. Quickly, I observed where I was. Location had not been changed. That was good. Daidouji lackeys did not surround me. Also a plus. My hands fumbled for my kunai, which I had placed next to me before I had dozed off. I readied two kunai to throw in my hands as my eyes shifted from tree to tree. "I know you are out there," I called. At least I _thought_ I knew someone was out there. My senses could have been hit out of whack by my sleep, but I doubted it. If there was someone out there watching me, they were damn good, because I couldn't find a trace of them anywhere.

And then the idea struck me. It couldn't possibly be...

" _Aoshi?_ " my voice cracked as I called out to the forest.

"Sorry to disappoint you," a voice said. Suddenly I felt a flick on the bridge of my nose. Putting my free hand over it for protection, I jumped back as far as the tree would allow. Before me was standing someone who was very not Aoshi. "You are so very loud in the morning, Weasel."

It was Saitoh Hajime. Of all of the luck. But if Saitoh was out here-- that meant--

"Aoshi--" I gasped.

Rolling his eyes, Saitoh took out a cigarette and lit the tip. "I believe that is all you can really say. _Aoshi, Aoshi, Aoshi_. One day you'll learn that when you say a man's name over and over again it gets annoying." Puffing out the smoke he had just inhaled, he continued, "If you're wondering about if your lover boy knows you're here, know that it's not because of me. I have not said a word to him about your whereabouts." Shrugging, he added, "Of course, that doesn't mean he hasn't beat it out of the poor old man-- because I'm sure he's gone into withdrawal without you there to fuck."

Narrowing my eyes, I stood up, using the tree as a leaver. "You should watch your mouth, Saitoh."

"As should you, Weasel," he said, glaring. "You forget who you are talking to."

"Okay," I let out a long breath, trying to calm myself down. It was pointless to start try to start a fight with him. "What are you doing here then?" I asked, crossing my arms against my chest. "It couldn't possibly be out of the goodness of your heart. You know about Daidouji's plans, I assume."

Looking amused with himself, Saitoh replied, "My, the Weasel actually had an intelligent thought on her own. Well done. Yes, I am here because of the same reports that the Oniwabannshu commandeered from the Kyoko police department. Although, I had expected Shinomori to be the one to be stupid enough to come here with no back-up, not you."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Apparently you don't realize how dangerous Daidouji can be. The little run in we had with him at the train station in Kobe was hardly an estimate of his powers." He walked towards me, letting out a long breath of smoke. "You coming here by yourself was probably the most foolish thing you could have done. Who will protect you if Daidouji strikes?"

I scowled, "I can protect myself."

"Because you did a such spectacular job last time," he said, nodding towards where I had received the wound from Daidouji's tanto.

"That was different," I said, putting my hand protectively over my wound. It stung to the touch, but it was burning of guilt under Saitoh's glare. "That was because you and Aoshi had to go and be bastards about me accompanying you on the reconnaissance mission!"

Nodding, Saitoh took another drag off of his cigarette. "Ah yes. Blame it on us. But see, Weasel, if you get yourself killed now, you can't blame anyone but yourself." He knelt to the ground and picked up my blanket and folded it. He then picked up my pillow and tossed the both to me. "Now pack those up, and let's go."

I easily caught the blanket and pillow. However, I was looking at Saitoh in absolute shock. "Excuse me?"

"Did I not speak clearly enough for you?" Saitoh asked, raising an eyebrow. "Come on, we are getting out of here before you do actually get caught by Daidouji's people."

If I understood to start packing what Saitoh had thrown me, I wasn't moving. My body was frozen. Thoughts were _very slowly_ processing in my brain. "You want me... to come with... you?"

"Congratulations, you understand," he said snatching the pillow and blanket out of my hands and packing them up himself. He then threw my bag over his shoulder, and motioned forward. "Come on, Weasel. If we linger here any longer, he's sure to know we are here."

"R-right." I staggered to follow him as he started to walk through the woods-- away from the main path. "May I ask, _why_ you are coming with me?" I managed to ask. I didn't mean for it come out as presumptuous as it did, but I wasn't going to take it back either. I mean, after all, this was Saitoh. He wasn't supposed to help me, or _want_ to help me, for that matter. The only thing I could figure was that he had an ulterior motive or something.

He continued to walk, without looking back at me. "You think I have an ulterior motive?"

I lost my footing for a second, thinking that I might have been thinking all of my negative thoughts out loud. "Did I-" I started muttered.

"No, but you clearly show that you are suspicious. You have every right to be as well." He stopped then, and looked back at me. "I cannot tell you anything that will make me trust you. And if I lie to you, you might not trust me further. But even though I think you are an annoying little brat of a girl, that doesn't mean that I cannot look out for your well-being. Think of this as a _thank you_ to Shinomori."

"For?" I asked.

He shook his head. "In good conscience I couldn't tell you. You can ask your lover boy next time you see him." Turning towards Tokyo again, he called, "Come on, Weasel. Stop standing there with your mouth agape and let's go see that stupid Battousai."

  
"Oro?" Was the perfect greeting that Himura could have given our awkward crew. Seeing me in Tokyo wasn't really an usual thing, as I made it a point to visit the Himura at least once every two months or so. Seeing Saitoh standing behind me, carrying my patched backpack with his normal disgruntled expression, was probably a little bit of a shocker. "M-Misao-dono-- why are you--?"

Kaoru-san came up from behind him, carrying Kenji-kun in her arms. Kenji-kun never wanted to let go of his mother if he could help it. Of course that would only last through his toddler years I was sure. "Kenshin, who--" her eyes widened as, she too, stood in shock of the sight before her. "Misao-chan! What are you doing here?"

"So glad you show concern for me being here as well, Raccoon-Girl," Saitoh remarked.

Continuing to ignore him, Kaoru-san put Kenji-kun down on the ground and moved closer to me. "Misao-chan, why are you here _without_ Aoshi-san?" She said, squaring our shoulders to be even-- well as even as they could be, because I was still fairly shorter than Kaoru-san. "Did you have a fight again?" This wouldn't be the first time that I had gone to Tokyo without Aoshi in toe. During the spring and summer in the year after Kenshin had defeated Enishi, I had often ran to Tokyo because of something stupid that Aoshi or I had done. I just ran away from everything until Aoshi would come back and collect me with many apologies to Kaoru-san and Himura. After a while, it became habitual and just turned into regular visits-- but with Aoshi instead of without.

I shook my head no, "No, it's not like that at all Kaoru-san. In fact, I have news about Aoshi that I just _have_ to tell you."

Her eyes lit up, "Oh what? Could it be~"

"Do you mind, Weasel?" Saitoh snarled, brushing Kaoru-san aside. "We _did_ have a purpose with coming here that had nothing to do with your escapades with Shinomori. And as much as you want to chat, you are wasting valuable time that we could be getting prepared."

Kaoru-san blinked, "Prepared for what?"

Sensing that there was more story to be told, Himura put his hand reassuringly on his wife's shoulder. "I think it's best that such matters be discussed inside," he offered. "Won't you both come in?"

"But Kenshin-" Kaoru-san whined. It wasn't a secret that she hated Saitoh with the same fiery passion that I did.

"It's all right, Kaoru-dono." He rubbed his hand against her shoulder to calm the on-coming tantrum. "I do not think Saitoh will give us any reason for him to be unwelcome in our home." I watched the two warriors exchange glances. I remembered vaguely about what Aoshi had told me about Himura challenging Saitoh for the last time and the fact that Mibu's wolf didn't show. 

"On the contrary," Saitoh said as he walked past both the Himura family and I. "After your Raccoon-Girl hears what I have to say, she's going to want to burn my head in one of her awful roasts."

"WHY YOU-!" Kaoru-san steamed. Himura held back his wife, looking a little nervous at Saitoh's comment.

This was going to be great fun. As I walked towards the house, I wondered how I should start the conversation. _Himura, your life is in grave danger_ or _Himura, have you sharpened your sakabatou lately?_ Choices, choices. Maybe I would let Saitoh start the conversation. After all, I didn't care if Kaoru-san murdered him. 

"Sao-neechan!" Kenji-kun tugged on my clothes, which stopped me from following the rest of the group. 

I turned to him and smiled. "My, my Kenji-kun. Look how much you've grown." I picked him up, making it seem like he was too heavy to hold. In reality, he was fairly light. "How old are you now?"

"Two! Two!" He smiled that stupid smile that Himura also had. The boy might of really been a mama's boy, but I'd be damned if he didn't look exactly like his father.

"Woooow," I tried to sound amazed. He was two the last time I had visited, but I doubted he remembered telling me. "Why don't we go with Oka-san and Otou-san to talk, okay?" I smiled again, tickling him in his side mercilessly.

He giggled wildly, kicking his little legs back and forth. "Ahhh Sao-neechan! Stop! Stop!"

Grinning in victory, I stopped and adjusted my hold on him. But then, he said something that wiped the grin right off of my face. "Sao-neechan, where's _Shi-nii_?" _Shi-nii_ was his nickname for Aoshi. It was amazing that when Kaoru-san had asked about Aoshi's whereabouts, I brushed it off. But when Kenji-kun asked, my heart panged inside my chest. Suddenly I felt very guilty for just leaving like that. I had to hold back any emotions that might have shown on my face, though. I didn't want to worry the small child. "Is he comin' too? We gonna play zoom in the air again, huh, huh?"

Rubbing my hand against his hair, I shook my head no. "No, Shi-nii isn't coming this time, Kenji-kun. Maybe next time neechan visits, hm?"

Bobbing his head in understanding, Kenji-kun wrapped his arms around my neck to hold on as the both of us entered the house. The other three had already sat down, Kaoru-san and Himura looking at Saitoh, Kaoru-san ready to attack at any moment. 

"Misao-dono, please sit," Himura offered. I sat down next to Saitoh, although I really didn't want to. I would have much rather had not been in the room at the moment, in fact. I wanted to be very far away when Kaoru-san heard what we were about to tell them. Kenji-kun adjusted his legs so he could remain holding onto me as we had our discussion. It was good to know that at least Kenji-kun would support me. But what support could a two-year-old give? “I have news from Jiya, Himura," I said. No sense in beating around the bush. With my free hand, I pulled out the information that Jiya had asked me to give to Himura.

Silently, the two read over it. I looked uneasily at Saitoh, asking myself if it really was a good idea to bring him here with me. After all, I could have refused his company. That didn't mean he wasn't going to follow me, but I could at least tell Himura that bringing Mibu's wolf here was not my idea. Instead all I could do was hope that what Aoshi had told me was true, and that there no longer was a grudge between the two of them.

"Kenshin, this is what _he_ ," she said, motioning towards Saitoh, "Came here last time about."

I vaguely remembered Aoshi telling me that Saitoh had already spoken to Himura about the situation. But Saitoh didn't know that I knew that. Smiling devilishly, I raised an eyebrow. "You've been here about this before, Saitoh?" I asked, sounding more teasing than I intended. But the damage was done. Perhaps Kaoru-san would turn her rampage on him now. That, I needed to see. 

"Before you enlisted yourself as help in this case, yes, I had approached the Battousai about Daidouji and perhaps helping with his capture." Mockingly, he added, "However the idiot's Raccoon-wife wouldn't allow him to be put in danger."

"That's because Kenshin has nothing to do with--"

"He has everything to do with this," Saitoh snapped back. "What I don't think you understand is how this affects not only him, but you and mini-Raccoon over there," he motioned towards Kenji-kun. "Now, because he failed to act, instead of just putting himself in danger, the three of you are all in equal danger. Daidouji will not stop attacking until he is satisfied. And unlike myself, he will not just let you go on living this pretend life with buttercups and daisies."

Both Himura and Saitoh stared down each other for a few moments, until I interrupted with a question. "Other than Himura helping Takeda Kanryuu be captured, why is Daidouji coming after him?"

Saitoh let out a long sigh. "So Shinomori hasn't even told you that reason?"

I shook my head, "I'm in the dark here, Saitoh. You know that as well as I do. You and Aoshi haven't told me anything in all this time except that Daidouji wants revenge."

"Isn't that enough?" Saitoh said, looking at me with narrowed eyes.

"Not for just ruining one outlet of his business. Not all of this."

Kaoru-san chimed in, "I have to agree with Misao-chan. I don't know all what has happened, but I can't understand someone being so mad about such a little thing as shutting out weapons outlet down. Daidouji must have hundreds-"

"Takeda Kanryuu not only a buyer of weapons from Daidouji Kei," Saitoh interrupted once again. "He was a very... close friend." 

"So?" Blunt, but I made my point. 

Letting out another sigh, he shook his head. "I suppose you should know this. God knows I have given enough time for Shinomori to tell you about this."

"Tell me what?" I put Kenji-kun down on the floor as I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at Saitoh.

"Takeda Kanryuu was brutally murdered only days after his capture," Saitoh explained. 

"You think that Aoshi--"

"You of all people, Weasel, understand what his mental state was at that time," he replied harshly. "And if you have any doubts, you can ask your beloved _Himura_ here how he almost died fighting Aoshi in Shishio Makoto's mansion.

"But there is something else. If he couldn't at least tell you that, then I'm sure that Shinomori did not tell you the true relationship between Daidouji and Kanryuu."

I cocked my head to the side, "There was more?"

"Daidouji Kei was Takeda Kanryuu's weapon's dealer yes, but they were also-- lovers."

The whole room was silent. The only one who wasn't completely shocked, was Kenji-kun, as he had no idea what was going on anyway.

" _Now_ do you understand why he has it out for both Shinomori and the idiot here? The Battousai caught Kanryuu and sent him to his death. While your lover boy murdered him in his blinded rage."

Himura covered his face with his right hand, "I had no idea. The Police Chief never--"

Saitoh shook his head, "He knew nothing of it either. There was no need for him to. Kanryuu was being transferred at the time he was killed. Only a few knew of the transfer, so for a while we suspected that it was an inside job. We were _attempting_ to try Kanryuu's ring and bring Daidouji in at the same time, so we were transporting him to Kyoto where Daidouji was located. It was a very huge case at the time. However-" his voice trailed off. We all understood.

"But it's not well known that Aoshi _could have_ done it, so why?" I put an emphasis on _could have_ , because I wasn't completely convinced that Aoshi had done the deed that he was being accused of.

Raising an eyebrow, Saitoh brought his attention back to me. "If there is a doubt in your mind that he committed this act, then you really should question how well you know Shinomori. As for Daidouji, you have seen first hand the resources of his intelligence network, Weasel. Now think of what we knew, added what he knew of the incident. Shinomori and the Battousai are also friends. They might not have been at the time, but Daidouji wouldn't know that-- or if he did, he wouldn't care. He would assume that the two were working together." Letting out another sigh, Saitoh continued, "So not only had you taken away his lover, but a very profitable outlet for him. Kanryuu was one of his best clients, thanks to the profits he was making on his opium sales. Daidouji is a man in love with money and power as much as Takeda Kanryuu was, and is much more dangerous thanks to his never ending arsenal."

The heavy silence seeped into the room again. All we could do was look at one another, unsure what to say next. Thankfully, we were interrupted by a fifth voice, "Hey! I'm home." The shoji doors flew open to reveal a shocked Yahiko. I suppose he wasn't expecting so much company. "Oi- Weasel and Saitoh are here too?"

I steamed, "You brat! I thought I told you not to call me that!" 

He grinned, "I'll call you whatever I want, Weasel. Besides, you should be nice to me." Confused by what he was implying, I blinked. "After all, I let your sweetie-pie come in..."

From behind him walked in someone I _really_ didn't want to see at that moment.

"Shi-nii!" Kenji-kun smiled and reached out for my very unhappy looking fiancé.

Wish I could have done the same.


	19. Monster or Man?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "My eyes! My eyes!"

Kaoru-san broke the silence with an uneasy smile, "Aoshi-san, how good to see you. Misao-chan said that you were not going to be visiting this time..."

"Change of plans," he gruffly replied.

I didn't want to look him in the eyes. I knew what was waiting for me there. The Glare of Death, no doubt. I'm sure he wasn't very happy at all about my actions. The fact that he got to Tokyo only hours after I did was a good indication on how quickly he found out I had left. I was curious to who told him- or perhaps he figured it out on his own. There wasn't that many places that I had to run to, and he knew every single one of them.

"Look, Aoshi--" I began to say.

"Later, Misao," he interrupted. We locked eyes then. Yep, fuming with anger. This was going to be fun. He hid his anger well, as always. The ever effective cold outer shell was in place. With a blink, the anger that was burning in his eyes was gone, and once again he was the listless Aoshi we all knew. I had almost forgotten how cold and distant he was to everyone else. "We shall talk about this later. Right now, I think there might be more pressing matters."

Saitoh smirked, "And he would be correct, for once."

Himura extended his hand, "Why don't you take a seat as well, Aoshi? We were just discussing Daidouji Kei."

"A popular topic," Aoshi remarked as he took a seat next to me.

"What the hell is going on here?" Yahiko growled, scratching his hair in frustration. He too sat down, without an invitation. I highly doubted that Himura or Kaoru-san would have said something about it, though.

Kenji-kun walked around me to stand by Aoshi. Pulling on Aoshi's sleve, the toddler whined, "Hey Shi-nii, let's play..."

Taken aback for a second, a smile came to Aoshi's mouth as he rubbed Kenji-kun on the head. "I will once we are finished, Kenji. I promise."

"Sao-neechan," the two-year-old turned to me. "You come play too, right?"

I looked into Aoshi's eyes, trying to tell him silently that I was very sorry for leaving. With an awkward smile, I replied, "Only if _Shi-nii_ says it's alright..." Trying to play with Kenji-kun while Aoshi was there would be unsettling for the both of us. He was mad at me, and I knew that he was mad at me. Didn't add up to fun times. It would probably result in making Kenji-kun upset, and that was the last thing I wanted to do.

Taking out a cigarette from his jacket, Saitoh lit the tip and inhaled deeply. Glaring at the two of us, he exhaled and remarked, "As cute as it is to watch the two of you dance around the other's feelings, can we please continue?"

A blush came to my face, I looked away. "Y-yes," I muttered.

Himura took up the lead of the conversation, "So, Saitoh, where is Daidouji's hideout located?"

"Kenshin-" Kaoru-san gasped. "You aren't _actually_ thinking about helping _Saitoh_ , are you?"

The rurouni looked his wife in the eyes and smiled his most innocent smile. The one where you knew that he was up to no good. "No, no, Kaoru-dono."

"Well then _why_ \--"

"Because I _am_ going to protect my family," he interrupted. "If Daidouji does make a move against you or Kenji-- I would never forgive myself if either of you got hurt." He nodded towards Yahiko and myself, and added, "That goes for Yahiko and Misao-dono as well." He very purposely left out Aoshi and the wolf in the protection category. Probably because he figured Saitoh and Aoshi could fend for themselves. I let it go. Now was not the time to assert myself as the Okashira of the Oniwabannshu.

Saitoh let out another puff of smoke, "More sentimental garbage. I'm just getting bombarded by it today." He stood tall, glaring at us all with his usual distaste. "If all you lovebirds want to make kissy face, then I'm going to be leaving--"

"Saitoh-" Himura called.

"Daidouji's fortress is just outside the city line." The policeman replied, turning towards the exit. "If you wish, tomorrow I could take you and Shinomori there."

"I won't make a move against Daidouji unless he attacks first," Himura retorted.

"Then I think you should talk to the Weasel there. I'm sure she can fill you in with the details you need to know before you act, or whatever it is you need to get off your ass to help." Saitoh took a deep drag from his cigarette. "I'll be here tomorrow at sunset. Be ready by then." He paused in his stride and turned to Aoshi and myself, "And no additions this time. We don't need any more casualties."

I growled as the tall policeman left the room, a very large grin on his face. "That son of a--"

"Okay, I missed something," Yahiko said. "Any one care to explain this to me?"

I shook my head, "It's none of your business, Yahiko. Just stay out of it."

"The hell it isn't," he replied, raising his voice. "If someone is threatening the Kenshin-gumi, then I'm going to help fight too!"

Aoshi shook his head. "That sounds familiar," he said quietly enough so only I could hear it.

Nodding his head in agreement, Himura offered, "What you say is true Yahiko. How about after dinner, we will all explain what we know of the situation... But for now, I'm sure Kaoru-dono will need your help with the shopping."

Kaoru-san blinked, "I will?" After a knowing look from her husband, she nodded and exclaimed, "Oh yes, I will! How does tempura sound, Misao-chan?"

Unconsciously, my right hand twitched at the mention of tempura. I nervously laughed, "As long as I'm not making it, that's fine." 

"Huh?" Kaoru-san blinked.

"Misao burned herself badly a few weeks ago, making tempura," Aoshi explained quietly.

I nodded, "Yes." My voice was shaking a little. Thinking of that time was making me very nervous. It had been right after we had come back from Kobe. But before Aoshi and I had really become _close_. It was in thanks to my burn that Aoshi realized how cruel he was being towards me. The skin was still smooth where the burn had been. When Aoshi and I made love it was one of his favorite spots to kiss. "So you can see why--" I laughed then, trying to hide my shaking voice.

"Okay then it's settled. Tempura it is," Kaoru-san said with a nod. "Come on, Yahiko. You're coming." She put her arms out and called to her son, "Kenji-kun, you want to go shopping with _ka-san_?"

The two-year-old beamed, "Yessss!" He ran over to his mother, arms wide and a big grin on his face.

Picking him off from the ground, Kaoru-san smiled to Aoshi and myself and said, "We won't be very long. And don't forget Misao-chan, you and I need to have a girl-talk." I nodded in understanding. Kaoru-san knew when there was something up, and not just with the Daidouji situation.

Smiling, Himura stood up from the floor as well. "I think there's laundry outside for me to do-" he pondered mindlessly out loud.

I knew that smile that was plasted on Himura's face. He was up to something. Everyone was trying to leave Aoshi and myself alone for a reason. In a way, I appreciated it. But looking at Aoshi, and knowing how furious he must have been with me, I wanted to run far away.

The two of us sat in the room alone for a few moments. The only sound was the calm wind blew against the walls, echoing through the room. I finally broke the silence with a rambling, "Look, I'm sorry I left you in Kyoto. We received word that Daidouji was going to move against Himura, and I wanted to make sure he had ample warning and I could come and help and I really didn't want you to be in danger again, so I-"

With a quick jerk, Aoshi wrapped his right arm around me, leaning me against his body. Before I realized it, Aoshi had pulled me into a kiss. A very deep kiss. I moaned as I tried to pull away from him, "Wha-"

Leaning towards me, he whispered into my ear, "Do not do that to me again." His voice was hoarse, it tickled the inside of my ear. But I was too absorbed in him to laugh. "I was worried about you."

I placed a butterfly kiss on his nose. "Thank you for your concern, but I can take care of myself," I replied in a similar whisper.

"I know you can," he said. "As I can protect myself." He pulled me into a hug, squeezing me tightly. "We need to stop doing this to each other."

"You're not mad?"

"Oh, I am angry, make no mistake," he explained, loosening his grip on me. "However, I am just relieved that you are safe."

I smirked, "So are you going to scold at me now?"

"I have considered it," he said, his eyes softening up. "But first I want you to tell me what Saitoh told you."

I froze. That's right. Saitoh wasn't suppose to have told me about Aoshi being _suspected_ in Kanryuu's murder. Smiling at him, I lied through my teeth, "Nothing new. We were just filling Himura and Kaoru-san in on the details." I prayed he didn't catch onto the lie. Aoshi was better at spotting lies than I was.

It showed in his face that he wasn't buying it. Probing me with his dark blue eyes, I could feel him searching for the truth. I shifted uneasily, scooting away from him slightly. Now he would know I was lying. "Is that all?" he finally voiced, instead of harassing me with his eyes.

How was I supposed to answer that? If I confessed to lying, he would be even more furious with me. But if I told him the information Saitoh had divulged-- it could have been more disastrous. So I posed another question to counter his, "What haven't you told me?"

"Misao-"

I shook my head, "No, you need to tell me, Aoshi. I need to hear it from _your_ mouth. Otherwise--"

"Otherwise?" he repeated, not liking the sound of the oncoming threat.

Swallowing hard, I tried to find some hidden strength deep within me. It didn't work. All I found was a bad case of butterflies in the stomach. "Otherwise, I'll have to believe Saitoh," _and I really don't want to_ , finishing the sentence in my thoughts.

His eyes widened in sudden realization. "He told you that I killed Kanryuu, didn't he?"

I nodded. "It isn't true--" I paused as Aoshi turned away. He wasn't looking at me anymore. " _Is it?_ "

"I did not want you to know," he said, as if that explained everything.

"Aoshi!"

"I will not explain my actions, Misao, least of all to you," he snapped back, turning to face me again. The fury once again returned to his eyes. I had never seen Aoshi have so many emotions in such little time. It was as if the emotionless mask he wore had completely crumbled away. He stopped his outburst by shoving his hands against his face. "Forgive me. I should not have burst out--" he mumbled from behind his hands.

Gently, I pried his hands away from his face. "Hey, stop that," I whispered. "You're scaring me."

"Then perhaps we should not wed," he offered, not meeting me in the eye.

"What?" That was _not_ what I expected to hear at all. What did his angsting have anything to do with our engagement?

"If I scare you, then why marry me?"

Grimacing, I cupped my hand around his cheek. "Because _maybe_ I love you."

"Why?" he asked, pulling his face away from my hand.

Clenching my teeth, I replied, "That's a question I ask myself a thousand times every day."

"And what is your answer?" he asked.

"Why don't you tell me about Kanryuu first, hm?"

"There's not much to tell--" he began, quieting his voice to the same whisper he had used with me before. "I was very... _angry_ with Kanryuu and the Battousai." It had been a few years since Aoshi had called Himura the B-word, but I let it go. For once, Aoshi was serving information, and I wasn't about to stop him from doing that. "After burying--" he paused. I could see him physically trying to hold back his sadness. "Burying _them_ , I began to walk. And walk. And as I was walking, my anguish turned into a fury towards Kanryuu and the Battousai. I knew I would face him again, destiny would see to that. I would be the one to kill the Battousai." I accidentally let out a chortle at that. He only stared at me. "But Kanryuu--" he continued, "Kanryuu was in police custody. I wanted him to suffer the same fate as our comrades, not rot away in a cell. And so, I tracked him down."

"It's okay, Aoshi," I cooed. "You don't have to tell me anymore. I understand." Truthfully, I didn't want to hear anymore. Aoshi during that time in his life... it's not an easy thing for me to think about. He caused great pain to many during that time, including myself.

"I found he was being transferred to Kyoto for a trial. The security around the cell was very strong. So I waited until the transfer. They put him in a carriage. There were only two guards, and the horseman. They fell easily. Kanryuu was very surprised." He paused again, taking a deep shuttering breath. Dear God, he was reliving it! I suddenly wanted to take everything back. I didn't want him to tell me anything. Not if it was going to bring him this much pain! 

"I killed him slowly," he continued, morbidly. Small beads of sweat began to slide down his face as he slowed his pace down. "Carving chunks out of his skin." He looked at me, "I doubt Saitoh told you all of that that."

I shook my head, "No, he didn't." The butterflies in my stomach were pounding against me now. The more he described, the more I felt like I was going to throw up.

"I let him bleed- so much blood. Until hardly anything was left in his body..."

"Aoshi- _stop it_."

"Why?" he looked at me, accusingly. "You wanted to know. This is what you wanted to hear, right?"

"I just wanted to know what happened, not the gory details," I explained.

"And why not, Misao? Because they would show me for whom I truly am? I bled the life out of hundreds of men, just like him."

"I know," I said, tears beginning to form in my eyes. My mind had begun to do what I was trying to prevent. Something I hadn't thought about in a long time. Aoshi and Okina's duel. How I raced to stop them before it was too late. Okina's lifeless body falling to the floor. Blood splattered everywhere. Aoshi's cruel words to Me.

_Get out of here. And never show your face to me again._

"It is part of who I am, Misao. I wanted to protect you from it, but I understand now that I cannot." He stared at me with intense eyes. Like he was sorry he made me cry, but never would admit it out loud.

I jumped forward, wrapping my arms around him. I pulled him in tight to me, as he had done at the beginning of this encounter. "You stupid idiot-" I whispered.

"Misao?"

"I love you because even though you did all of that, and hurt me so deep-- I can forgive you. I forgive you because I love you. Whether you admit it or not, you're only human." He opened his mouth to protest, but I silenced him by putting a finger to his mouth. "I'll show you then, if you don't believe me." Bringing my head towards the curve of his neck, I pushed away his mandarin collar with my nose. Then, softly, I put my mouth to his neck. Tasting the sweet salty taste of his skin in my mouth, I began to suck, rotating my tongue around the small patch of skin that I claimed as my own. When I pulled back, I was very satisfied to see a bright red mark on his neck. "See?" I said with a smirk as I pulled away. "I can hurt you. You are human. You can make mistakes."

Aoshi's hand reflexively went to the mark I had just created. "You naughty girl," he said, eyeing me with less anger in his eyes then before. I was glad I could change his mood with a simple hickey. And then again, maybe my words were all he really needed to hear. Perhaps he wasn't questioning my love for him as much as he was questioning himself.

I shook my head, "That's what you get for doubting how I feel about you, like it's not obvious to the world how I feel."

"I like to hear you say it, though," he offered, pushing his hand though my hair. "Since we both cannot so openly express our feelings..." He then leaned towards me, mimicking what I had done to him moments before. Only he was rougher as he kneaded his tongue against my skin. I moaned in delight as he deepened the kiss against my neck.

"Hey Weasel, we're back!" The door to the left of us slammed open. "Kaoru wants to know if--"

My eyes widened at the sight of Yahiko standing in front of us. Aoshi sighed as he leaned his head on the curve of my neck. It seemed the two of us would never have a moment alone without an interruption of some sort.

"Oh, dear God!" Yahiko exclaimed. "My eyes! My eyes!"

The stupid-chicken-head-wannabe's tactics were not amusing to me in the slightest. Not to mention he had just interrupted something that felt _really_ good. Glaring at him, I retorted, "Surely you must do this with that Tsubame of yours."

"Well yeah," he straightened up, now even more embarrassed. "But-"

"But _what_?"

"It's _Shinomori Aoshi_."

"It is nice to know that I am so highly thought of in your book, Yahiko," Aoshi muttered, sitting upright.

"Yes, it _is Shinomori Aoshi_ ," I huffed, ignoring Aoshi. "And it just so happens that I care about him very much, so _butt out_." I felt Aoshi's hand trace up my spine in a light, affectionate touch. Apparently, he had liked that line. I had to hold back the oncoming blush and shivers in front of Yahiko. Nothing going on behind my back. Nothing at all. 

"All right, all right," Yahiko waved his hand in the air. Then, with a smirk, he added ever so subtlety, "Although I'm going to be permanently scarred from seeing the two of you necking..."

"YA-HI-KO!"

He continued on as if he didn't hear or see me getting ready to beat the crap out of him. "Kaoru wanted to know if-"

Once again, he was interrupted, this time by Kenji-kun speeding by his legs. "Sao-neechan!" he exclaimed, running over to me.

"-you could take care of the _chibi_ while she and Kenshin cook."

"Himura's cooking?" I asked, blinking.

"You want it to be edible, don't you?" Yahiko snapped back.

Kenji-kun jumped on my lap, giggling. "Sao-neechan! Play! Play!" He looked to Aoshi and pulled on his arm, "Shi-nii let's go play zoom in the air!" Aoshi nodded silently, the sides of his mouth showing a very small grin. 

I smiled down at the toddler. "I suppose it would be all right."

"Yay!" Kenji-kun smiled, waving his hands in the air.

Scratching his head as he left, Yahiko muttered (but loud enough so Aoshi and myself could hear him), "Can't believe the two of them, do they have no shame?" With Kenji-kun on my lap, I decided it wasn't a good idea to go chasing after him. 

Although the thought was very appealing. 

  
And so the three of us went outside, under Kenji-kun's unyielding desire to play 'zoom in the air'. "Hold still," I instructed to Kenji-kun, who could not stop wiggling his feet in anticipation. "I'm never going to get these shoes on you if you don't stop moving. And if you don't get your shoes on, then no zoom-in-the-air."

He immediately stopped. I smiled, cunningly, as I slid his zori on. No sooner were the zori on his feet, the toddler took off, dragging Aoshi with him into the open to play.

"Lift! Lift!" Kenji-kun demanded, pulling on Aoshi's clothes. Complying with the toddler's wishes, Aoshi picked Kenji-kun up and tossed him a few inches about his head. Kenji-kun let out a string of giggles, kicking his tiny legs back and forth. "Again! Again!"

Sitting on a patch of grass, I watched the two play together. My mind began to wander again. Suddenly, I was picturing Aoshi playing with one of our children. A family. A happy family. And as Aoshi's lips curved into a smile, I couldn't help but smile as well. I propped my head against my hand, watching them contently. Despite his tendencies to be a cold man on the outside, when it came to children he was always very open, very gentle. The proof was in how he treated Kenji-kun and could be traced all the way back to when he cared for me as a child. Aoshi had practically raised me, up until I was eight. Every day, playing, teaching, caring. How couldn't I fall in love with someone who was so... perfect?

I sighed longingly as Kenji-kun once more insisted to Aoshi, "Again! Again!"

I chuckled and called out, "Careful, Kenji-kun. _Shi-nii_ has just come from a long journey. You don't want to push him too much." The in a loud whisper, I added, "He's getting really old."

Aoshi shot me a glare. "Say Kenji, do you think _Sao-neechan_ wants to go zoom in the air as well?" 

The toddler nodded, saying, "Sao-neechan come play too!"

Putting Kenji-kun down on the ground, a mischievous glint shone in Aoshi's eyes. The same glint that I had seen when he had put frogs in my hair when I was very little. "Yes," he said, walking towards me. " _Sao-neechan_ should get a turn too--"

"No, that's quite alright, Ao-sh-iieee!" He picked me up from the ground without any problem. I knew very well that he could carry me with one arm if he wanted to. And was quite good at it as well. But now was not the time to be in awe of my fiancé’s prowess. He held me close to his chest, getting ready to toss me up into the air. Kenji-kun, apparently, thought this was funny as hell. He was on the ground, balled over, laughing uncontrollably. I really didn't think it was that funny. "I swear, Shinomori Aoshi. You put me down this instant!"

He didn't. Instead, he readied me for take off, moving me away from his body, and placing his hands on my hips, squeezing them playfully. "Think of this as just deserves," he replied.

Couldn't really argue with that. I _had_ run away without telling him. Hanging my head, I took my punishment without a further word. With a quick jerk of his arms, he tossed me high into the air. "AOSHIIIIIIIIII!" I screamed on the top of my lungs. My stomach lurched up to my throat as I watched the ground get far away, and then quickly grow closer as I fell back down.

Aoshi cut it close, catching me only a few breaths away from colliding into the ground. My hands reflexively glued themselves to Aoshi's shirt, pulling it slightly off his shoulders. "Don't... do... that... again..." I warned. 

"Do it again? As you wish." With the same motions, he tossed me back into the air. I screamed in response, shouting every obscenity I could think of as I plummeted to my doom.

When he caught me for the second time, I glared at him. "You are a very evil man, you know that? You could have killed me."

"I will always catch you, Misao," he replied without looking at me. His voice was very even, and certain. I felt a blush forming, as his arms moved to craddle me tightly to his chest.

"What is going on out here?" Himura and Kaoru rushed outside, worried looks on their faces. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," I blushed, trying to figure out a way to explain. "We're fine."

Himura blinked, "Oro?" Apparently our situation must have appeared very odd. Kenji-kun was still balled up in pealing laugher; Aoshi was holding me tightly in his arms; and my face was very flushed. Yes, it must have been a very odd sight.

"We were just playing with Kenji-kun, like Kaoru-san asked," I replied, as if it explained everything.

Kaoru-san moved towards her son, looking at Aoshi and myself as if we had gone completely insane. "Ah, well thanks for your help, Misao-chan. I think I can take over now." She picked up Kenji-kun and covered his eyes to the both of us. I raised my eyebrow, but then decided to ignore it. Considering how Aoshi was holding me, I suppose it looked very compromising. Could we do anything without wanting to get in each other's pants? I knew I couldn't, but I wondered if Aoshi could. "Dinner is almost ready, Misao-chan, Aoshi-san. If you want to-ah-freshen up, then please do..." Kaoru-san's face blushed furiously, as she looked away, still hiding Kenji-kun's eyes.

Himura only smiled.

"Yes, of course," Aoshi replied, placing my feet back on the ground. He walked towards the house as if nothing had happened.

I brushed myself off and followed. Hey, if he could act so coolly, then I could as well. But when I tried to take a step, I fell over, almost twisting my ankle and blushing furiously of embarrassment. It was then that my stab wound decided to start throbbing badly. While Aoshi tossed me, I had almost forgotten about it. Almost. I checked my clothes to make sure no blood was coming through. There wasn't. Always a plus.

Aoshi had lied. I fell and he wasn't there to catch me. So much for his word. But watching his yummy backside take off his shoes and walk into the Himura residence, I hardly doubted if I cared.


	20. The Fox Enters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Yeah, that's a great response, guys."

"You are so unfair," I steamed, clenching my teeth.

Amused, Aoshi looked over to me, watching me shift my top around. "And what, pray tell, horrible thing have I done to you now?"

I turned to him, pointing at the very bright red mark on my neck. "I can't hide this. No matter what I do with my top, I can't cover this up." Biting the inside of my cheek, I muttered, "So unfair." I regretted marking him where it would be so easy for him to hide the hickey. Mental note: make sure to aim higher on his neck next time.

He walked over to me, his expansive chest behind my head. Kneeling down, he whispered into my ear, "Then perhaps you should let your hair down during dinner."

A flush spread across my cheeks. Furious, I turned my head to glare at him. "You did this on purpose."

Instead of answering, Aoshi simply ran his hand through my braid, magically undoing the tie at the bottom. He then ran his hand through my hair a second time, separating the chunks of hair that were so used to staying together in a braid. My hair flowed all around me, and then hung to my mid back. It had gotten longer since I last cut it. My hair grew like crazy if I didn't keep on top of it. It had been a year since I cut my hair. It seemed like an eternity ago compared to the few weeks it had been since we were in Kobe.

Aoshi had hinted to me that he liked it better long-- you know, in that oh-so-very-Aoshi way of not actually saying it but instead speaking of something else completely. Okon-san had let her hair down one day, and when she had been fussing at it for getting in her way, Aoshi had quietly commented that long hair suited women better. I happened to be in the room. And he just happened to be staring at me instead of Okon. I took the hint.

Of course, what Aoshi didn't know was that he was the reason I cut my hair in the first place. Back then, I had convinced myself that I had finally, _finally_ , given up on my infatuation on Aoshi. I cut my hair with a quick jerk of my kunai and threw the braid into the wind. When I came home to the Aoi-ya, I was met with gasps and open mouths. Aoshi had said nothing, however. But it didn't bother me in the slightest. 

Until the next day when Aoshi made his comment to Okon-san.

"So what if I did?" he whispered harshly into my ear. "You have an ample amount to repent for. Running off without telling me, for instance..."

I narrowed my eyes. "And just how did you figure out where I had gone?" That was a question that was plaguing my mind. Even if Jiya had blabbed to him, he had arrived in Tokyo awfully quickly. 

"Well you see-"

"Aoshi-san! Misao-chan!" Kaoru-san's voice rang through the shoji. 

Rolling my eyes, I adjusted my hair on my shoulders, making sure that the red mark on my neck was not showing at all. "We better go before she storms in here," I said, sliding open the door. As I lifted my arm, a shot of pain went through my right side. I bent over, hissing in pain.

Instantly, Aoshi's hand was on my back, helping me remain standing. "Did you reopen your stab wound?"

"No," I said through gritted teeth. "But you tossing me up and down didn't help the pain any."

Removing his hand from my back, I felt his hand hesitate on whether to continue to touch me or not, feeling the brush of his fingertips. "My apologies. I had almost forgotten..."

I shook my head. "That's a good thing, then, Aoshi. That means you aren't blaming yourself over it anymore." Smiling weakly, I turned to face him, praying that I looked brave. The look in his eyes told me that he still did blame himself, but he wasn't going to tell me otherwise. Damn him for always keeping everything inside. That was okay, though. I still hadn't wholeheartedly forgiven him either. It was something I would have to come to terms with, just as he would.

"Would you like me to carry you to dinner?" he offered.

I scoffed, "After the show we put on earlier? No, I think it would be best that we stay as far apart from each other as possible for the time being, or Kaoru-san will become suspicious."

He opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated. Finally, he replied, "As you wish."

Of course, what I _said_ and what I wanted to _do_ were two completely different things. Following that firm behind to the dining room was a difficult trip, indeed. True, I walked slowly because my wound was still throbbing, but it was also a good chance to get a nice view. 

Himura was bringing in the plate of tempura as we entered the dining room. Yahiko was already impatiently waiting. He was trying to entertain Kenji-kun as a distraction, and failing miserably at it. As soon as we entered the room, Yahiko's attention was on us.

"Misao-chan, why don't you sit here." Kaoru-san motioned to a side of the table nearest hers. "Aoshi-san, you sit next to her..." Biting her lip, she looked me in the eyes and quickly added, "If that's all right with you, Misao-chan..."

Smiling, I nodded. She smiled in return.

As we took our seats, Himura also sat down at his end of the table. With a bowl of rice beside him, be began to serve us guests.

From his side of the table, Yahiko looked anxiously at Aoshi and me. "Well?" he blurted out, as if holding it in all of this time. He really didn't have to say anything, really. The poor brat looked like he was about to explode any moment if we didn't start speaking. I, personally, was taking a little to much pleasure in seeing the chicken-head-wannabe so frazzled.

"Yahiko!" Kaoru-san glared at her pupil. " _After_ dinner, we said." Letting out a loud sigh, Yahiko slammed his head against the wooden table, making his small bowl of rice jump. "Right now, I only want to talk about happy things," Kaoru-san continued. "So, other than the current events, how are things in Kyoto, Misao-chan?"

A blush came to my face as I popped a piece of matsutake tempura into my mouth. "Um," I took a few chews and slowly swallowed the mushroom. I looked at Aoshi, trying to figure out whether he wanted me to tell them about the engagement or not. As per usual, however, Aoshi just gave me his normal placid look. "Well," I stuttered as my face flushed more. "I suppose it wouldn't be fit to keep it a secret any longer." I took a deep breath in. Find the bravery, Misao. You got it in you. Say it.

"Aoshi and I are engaged."

The only sound in the room was the clatter of Kaoru-san's chopsticks falling to the floor. The other three stared at Aoshi and me in shock. Kenji-kun was the only one who wasn't fazed by my announcement. He began to throw rice on the table.

I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, that's a great response, guys." I could _really_ feel their support from the wide-eyed-fish-about-to-be-fried looks on their faces.

"Oro?"

"Yeah..." Yahiko finally managed to bring his jaw up from the table. "What Kenshin said. _What?_ "

Now I was just getting angry. It wasn't as if Aoshi and I-- well okay, I suppose from the last time _they_ saw us, minus that of the excursion outside with Kenji-kun just minutes before, Aoshi and I were not very close. Okay, I was googly-eyed for him, but Aoshi still saw me as his little Misao-chan, according to the Kenshin-gumi. Through clenched teeth, I repeated, "Aoshi and I are engaged. How hard is that to understand?"

But they weren't looking at me anymore. All three of them were looking to Aoshi, who had busied himself with eating in silence during this whole fiasco. "Aoshi..." Himura bent in closer to Aoshi, getting a clear look at his face. "Is it true?"

"Why would I lie to you guys about something like that?" I steamed, slamming my chopsticks on the table.

Kaoru-san laughed nervously, patting me on the back. "It's not that we think you are lying, per say, Misao-chan."

"Well I do," Yahiko piped up. He looked as if he was about to say more, when he blinked as if he was remembering something. "Come to think of it, though," he rubbed the bottom of his chin. "Those two _were_ necking when I called on them before-"

Dropping her chopsticks once again, Kaoru-san's face turned a bright red. "N-n-necking?" She turned to me and looked at me accusingly, "Misao-chan!"

"Uh-" I faltered, the flush returning back to my checks. Suddenly, the hickey that Aoshi had left on my neck was burning intensely.

"Aoshi," Himura pressed, as my fiancé had still not given them the answer that they wanted.

With a forceful _yank_ , Kaoru-san brought my ear to her lips and whispered, " _Misao-chan are you pregnant?_ "

Another surprised "Oro!" came from Himura's mouth. 

Next to me, Aoshi started coughing loudly, and beating himself hard on the chest. 

"P-pregnant?!" I exclaimed, more loudly than I intended. Now everyone's eyes, including Aoshi's, were on me again. Instantly, I understood what Kaoru was trying to infer. Gritting my teeth, I slammed my hands against the table. "So you think the only way Aoshi would marry me is if he-"

"That is enough, Misao." Apparently, Aoshi had been able to swallow whatever had been choking him. Like embarrassment. He put his hand on my shoulder, in an effort to calm me down. It didn't really work. "To answer you question, Himura: yes. Misao and I are engaged." A hush fell over all of the people at the dinner table. I found myself looking to Aoshi with a mixture of shock and desire. I would have kissed him right then, had it not been for the three watching over our every move. "I asked her shortly before she left for Tokyo to come and warn you of the impending danger."

"And I'm _not_ pregnant," I interjected, crossing my arms against my chest in a huff.

From the other side of the table, Yahiko, with a smirk on his face, added, "Yet."

"That's it!" I lunged myself towards the brat, the both of us tumbling on the floor and crashing into the shoji screen, leaving a large hole. Amidst the crashing and ripping, I could hear Kaoru-san and Aoshi calling for the both of us as we tumbled into the backyard. My back collided with a large rock, which jolted my entire frame, but I continued to roll. Finally, I managed to pin Yahiko to the ground. "You! Stupid! Brat-!"

Now, if I was a smart ninja-girl, I would have realized that Yahiko, being who he was, was going to retaliate against me in anyway he could. Yahiko has never been happy with the fact that I could beat him in a fight. Never has been, and never will. With all of his might, he pushed upward, trying to flip me over, and off of him.

However, where he pushed with his left hand was exactly where I had been stabbed.

Before I could stop it, a scream shot through my lips. I instantly let go of Yahiko and curled into a ball on the grass, tears threatening to come out of my face. It had been a few days since I had reopened my wound, but I wasn't having a stupid junior-chicken-head pushing up against me everyday, either. Behind my tears, I slowly brought the arm that I wasn't laying on to check if there was blood coming out. I brought a red-stained hand to my face and closed my eyes. "Dammit..." I muttered, curling further into a ball. I closed my eyes, trying and failing to block out the pain.

There were footsteps behind us, hurrying through the grass. "Yahiko!" I heard Kaoru-san scream.

"I didn't do it! I just pushed her off! That's all!"

"Aoshi..." I heard myself call, barely aware that I said anything at all. If I were in full control of my body, I wouldn't have sounded so pathetic.

I felt something curl beside me. The setting sun was being blocked from my face. "I am here, Misao," I felt Aoshi's lips against the rim of my ear. "Is it your wound?" Nodding, I winced as I tried to sit up. "Do not sit up," he whispered, tracing his hand to where my hand was holding the blood. "Let me see," he said, trying to slide my hand to the side.

"No," I moaned, wincing again as I tried to keep my hand in place, and only further pushed on the wound. I sucked my teeth, trying not to scream again. Aoshi's mouth remained by my ear, whispering things that I really couldn't make out. Hearing his voice was soothing enough. 

More footsteps. Shins pressed up against my left knee. "Aoshi, what happened?" Himura asked.

"We need to get her medical attention," Aoshi said, ignoring Himura.

"I'll get Megumi-san," Kaoru-san said. "It's a good thing she's in town right now." The grass crunched underneath Kaoru-san's feet. "Just you wait until I get back, Yahiko! I'm going to give you the worst beating you've ever had!"

"But I didn't _do_ anything!" Yahiko retorted; his voice sounded like he was going in the same direction. 

After a few seconds of silence, I again heard Himura speak. "Now can you tell me what happened?"

"A little over a week ago, Daidouji was in Kyoto," Aoshi explained as he carefully helped me sit up. 

I risked opening my eyes then, but didn't look down to the wound. Instead, I just looked Aoshi in the eyes. "How bad did I mess up this time?"

"You need to exercise more caution, Misao," Aoshi chided. "Remember our conversation."

Himura knelt before me, looking at my bleeding side, staining my purple uniform a nice brown color. "Daidouji did this?" he hazarded a guess, as Aoshi wasn't explaining any further.

"Indeed," Aoshi nodded, pulling me in closer to his body. He and I both knew that Himura wouldn't be as embarrassed by our physical affection as, say, Kaoru-san or Yahiko might have been. After all, it was Himura who made me promise to stay by Aoshi's side. "He stabbed her one night, as Misao was..." his voice trailed off. I suppose if I hadn't been there, he would have said something about my foolish attempt to follow Saitoh and Aoshi to Daidouji's fortress.

But since I was sitting in Aoshi's arms, I decided I would be the braver one and say it.

"I was following Saitoh and Aoshi on a reconnaissance mission, and was told to go home," I sighed. "On the way back to the Aoi-ya, Daidouji found me, and stabbed me."

Himura raised an eyebrow, "Was there a reason for this?"

"He wanted to let me know what my weakness was," Aoshi said, slowly standing, holding me gently in his arms. "I will take Misao to our room. Let Takani Megumi in when she arrives."

I waited until we were almost back to the guest room to say anything. Himura was far out of earshot. Clinging to Aoshi's Oniwaban uniform tightly with my fists, I whispered, "You know, you aren't weak."

He paused in his stride. Looking down to my face, he pushed the bangs out of my eyes with his left hand. He then continued to walk towards our room.

  
"I swear those doctors in Kyoto! They have no _idea_ how to properly treat a stab wound!" Megumi-san let out a heavy sigh as she ripped apart a bandage. "They didn't even put stitches in..." she mumbled as she dipped the bandages into the hot water that Kaoru-san had brought. 

From my futon, I looked over to Megumi-san with my eyebrows furrowed. "Well next time I get stabbed, I'll make sure to send you a letter, Megumi-san."

She gave me a hard, quick flick on the nose then. "Make sure there isn't a next time." It was dark outside now, but Kaoru-san and Yahiko, after several guilt trips, brought most of the Himura household's candles to the guest room so Megumi-san could have sufficient light. There were three candles burning to the left of me, and more on the other side of the room. The fox doctor applied a substance to the wound, which felt like rice porridge, but I knew better. It smelled heavily of the incense that Aoshi burns while he's in the temple. "I don’t think that man can deal with any more stress without losing it," she continued quietly.

"Aoshi?" I asked.

Megumi-san raised an eyebrow as she met my eyes. "Who else would I be talking about?" She placed a hand gently on my shoulder and helped me sit up. Bandages in hand, she began to wrap the wound. 

After a few wraps around, I asked, "Are Aoshi and Himura still talking?"

"They were talking about something on the porch when I walked by," Megumi-san said. "But I wasn’t really paying attention." I was sure Aoshi was telling Himura everything. "There," Megumi-san said, tying a knot. "That should take care of you. Since it's been so long since you received the wound, stitches probably wouldn't help now. Besides, it didn't open that much. In fact, I'd say it was healing nicely."

"Yeah," I grumbled, lightly touching the bandage. "Squirting blood every few days, it’s healing _real_ nicely."

"Well maybe if you actually acted like a patient, and took things easy for a couple of days, you wouldn't have that problem," Megumi-san retorted. 

I shook my head, "Don't have time."

"Is it really that bad?"

"No," I said, sighing softly. "At least I didn't think so. I'm more worried about Aoshi than myself."

Megumi-san began to pack away the tools and herbs she had brought. "And this is why you got yourself stabbed in the first place," she said, sighing. "Shinomori Aoshi can take care of himself, as I am sure you know."

"But we-"

"-are engaged," Megumi-san interrupted me. "I know, the silly girl told me. But that doesn't mean he's forgotten everything he knew before he asked you to marry him." She placed her hand on my shoulder again, this time in an attempt to comfort me. "I know he is very strong. And you know this too. You and I both know what he is capable of. Maybe you should have faith in that strength."

"I do," I argued, getting rather angry at her tone. Aoshi had told me about when Megumi-san was Kanryuu's prisoner, but now I was beginning to wonder just how close the two really were during that time. Was this jealousy?

Tapping me lightly in the cheek with her open palm, Megumi-san replied, "Then act like it. You're not a child anymore!" I opened my mouth to say something, but she interrupted me. "You chose to give your heart to a warrior, and now you have to deal with it. Kaoru-san does-- and if that whiny raccoon-girl can do it, so can you." She stood up and walked to the shoji door. Looking back, the fox doctor added, "Look, you aren't helpless and neither is he. It would do you both a great deal of good if you remembered that once in a while."

I couldn't help but smile. It was funny to me that Megumi-san's advice was similar to Saitoh's except that it wasn’t. Saitoh told me to stay out of the way, and let Aoshi do his thing. Megumi-san advised me to stay, and to defend myself. But they both told me to have faith in Aoshi's strength. I honestly did think that I did have faith, but with so many people telling me that I didn't... perhaps I didn't believe in Aoshi as much as I told myself I did.

Upon opening the door, a stream of questions came rushing at Megumi-san.

"Is Misao-chan all right?"

"How is Misao-dono?"

"Sao-neechan?"

"I still didn't do _anything_!"

The only voice of concern that I didn't hear was Aoshi's. But that was to be expected, really. He would find out my condition in his own due time.

Still at the doorframe, the doctor shook her head, "The little girl," I tensed, "Will be fine." There was a loud sigh from Kaoru-san as she pushed past the fox lady and came to my side. "As long as she actually rests for once and lets that wound heal!" Megumi-san called as she exited the room. I shot a glare at her back.

"Oh Misao-chan!" Kaoru cried, hugging my shoulders close to her body. "Aoshi-san told us what happened. It must have been so horrible! Are you okay?"

"Sao-neechan!" Kenji-kun wrapped his arms around my neck, tugging lightly. His show of affection hurt slightly, but I could bear it.

"Yes, Kaoru-san, Kenji-kun, I'm fine." Nodding, I put forth my best smile and reassured her. She wasn't convinced. "I'm fine," I repeated. "After all, I am an Oniwaban."

Himura and Yahiko filed through next. Yahiko was rubbing the back of his head, while Himura seemed to have lost the smile that had been plastered to his face all the while Aoshi and I had been here. "Sorry for earlier," Yahiko grunted, crossing his arms across his chest.

Smirking at him, I retorted, "Oh, no matter. I would have beaten the crap out of you anyway!"

"You would n-"

"YAHIKO!" Kaoru-san boomed, holding me closer to her. It seemed Kaoru-san's motherly instincts were kicking in.

Himura knelt down, next to his wife, eyeing the bloodstained clothes put aside. "Megumi-dono said that you should be fine in a couple of days," Himura said, his narrowed eyes still not leaving the stain. It had been almost three years since I had seen him so serious. His voice had turned low, and did not sound feminine in the slightest.

"I'm fine now," I replied, pulling myself away from Kaoru-san's embrace, ignoring the bruise throbbing because of my quick movement. I tickled Kenji-kun under his chin, which rewarded me with him releasing his arms and light giggling. 

But I could tell Himura wasn't fooled. He smiled the same fake smile that I was, and said, "Of course."

Continuing her doting, Kaoru-san began to check my blankets, and to make sure my pillow was all right. I smiled nervously as I watched her, but didn't say anything. From outside, I could hear the low rumble of Aoshi’s voice mingling with the lighter timber of Megumi-san's. My eyes wandered away from Kaoru-san and looked instead to the open shoji door, a hot fire burning in my stomach. I tried to imagine what they were saying to each other. Probably something about my foolish weasel tendencies, no doubt. Stupid little girl, not knowing her own limits and hurting herself all over again. When did Megumi-san and Aoshi get so buddy-buddy _anyway_?

"Misao-dono?"

I blinked, turning my attention back to Himura. "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

Chortling, Himura nodded, "I said, we should let you rest now."

"Oh," I blushed, unable to really excuse myself for being so distracted over what I was totally sure was nothing.

"We shall talk more about this in the morning," Himura stood up, Kaoru-san quickly following him, with her arms crossed against her chest.

" _Kenshin_ ," Kaoru-san hissed as she picked up Kenji-kun. "You aren't thinking what I think you're thinking, _are you_?"

Blinking innocently, Himura looked to his wife and said, "Oro?"

"Oro!" Kenji-kun happily clapped. 

"Yes, we _will_ talk about this tomorrow, _husband_ ," she said, pushing the redhead out of the room. A trail of "oro..." echoed through the hallway, coming from both father and son as Kaoru-san led them away from the room.

I was alone in the room. Finally. With a loud sigh, I laid back down on the futon and brought my blanket up close to my face. There were still a number of candles burning in the room, but when Aoshi came back, _if_ he ever came back, I would pout and ask him to blow them out for me. Aww, poor Misao-chan. Right. I was so exhausted from the day that I could have fallen asleep, anyway, despite the light. I wasn't going to be sleeping outdoors, so it was already an extreme improvement from the night before.

Snuggling myself under the blanket, I turned to face the shoji door. Aoshi was silently leaning against the doorframe. Taken aback, I blinked to see if he was really there. He was. I knew Aoshi had the ability to move without making a single sound, but this was the first time he used that trick on me. "Aoshi?"

"Would you like for me to sleep elsewhere this evening?" he asked.

Offended, I snapped back, "Why would I want you to do that?" So Aoshi couldn't even stand to stay in the same room with me now? What happened to the Aoshi that was with me a few hours before? Could it be possible that-

"Takani Megumi," That name again. I seethed in anger. "Suggested that you get a good night sleep. I would not want to be in the way."

I turned over, facing my back to him. "Yeah and we don't want to go upsetting Megumi-san, now do we?"

"Come again?"

"Just- get out of here Aoshi. Go stay with Megumi-san or whatever," I mumbled some more rude things under my breath, about with futons and foxes. I was furious with myself for getting so jealous over Megumi-san, but what could I do? Coming out and asking him would be the easiest way-- but I liked to make things hard on myself. "Just go." Incredibly hard.

"You are upset," he said. I heard him lightly tap his head against the wood frame. "Is it Takani Megumi that is making you upset?"

Sinking further underneath my covers, I replied quietly, "Maybe."

"Did she say something to you while she was treating your wound?"

"No."

"Did she do something that offended you?"

Now I was feeling downright childish. "Not really."

Aoshi let out a loud sigh. "Look, I know the two of you do not get along, but Takani Megumi is a very honorable woman and-"

That was it. I couldn't stand it any longer. With a loud sob, I hid my face under the blankets and began to cry. So it was true. Aoshi and Megumi-san had something in the past. It wasn't often that Aoshi would refer to someone as "honorable" unless something else was going on. He might as well have just come out and said they had sex or something.

"Misao? What is wrong with you tonight?" I heard Aoshi's footsteps come closer as I sobbed away. "Misao?"

"You and Megumi-san had something together, didn't you?" I took in a deep breath, trying to hold back more loud sobs. "Before, when the both of you worked for Kanryuu. You were lovers, right?"

"Did she tell you this?" Aoshi asked very slowly, as if he was trying to processes what I had just said.

Another sob escaped. "So it's true? Aoshi how could you-"

"I did not say it was true, Misao," he said, interrupting me. "I only saw her when Kanryuu went to check on her progress with the opium. We were hardly lovers." He sat down on the floor, someplace close to my back. I could feel the movement of his clothes against my body, but it didn't feel like intentional contact.

"But she's so beautiful, and smart, and-" I added with a bright blush forming on my already flushed face, "She has a much bigger chest than most women." And by most women, I meant me, but I wasn't about to say that out loud.

I felt the blanket tug from above me. Suddenly I was face to face with Aoshi, the blanket tossed aside. He cupped his hand around my face and said, "There is nothing for you to be jealous over."

Pouting, I retorted, "I'm not jealous." After a knowing look from Aoshi, I sighed and added, "Okay, well maybe a little. But how couldn't I be? Megumi-san is much more..." _of a woman_ I wanted to say, but couldn't bring the words to my mouth. Aoshi deserved a woman, and not the little spoiled brat that I was, threatened by a relationship that never even existed.

"I pitied her," Aoshi explained. "If you want to be a woman whom I tell to kill herself in order to escape torture, then go ahead." I opened my mouth to protest, but he silenced me by putting a finger to my lips. "But I'd rather have my normal genki Misao, than have a Misao I pitied."

I pushed away his finger then and raised my head up to his. I pressed my lips against his and closed my eyes. "Thank you," I whispered, laying my head back down on the pillow. We stared at each other for a few seconds, in silence. Finally, I grabbed a small portion of his gi and asked, "Aoshi, would you keep me company tonight?"

"Of course."


	21. Truths (Lemon #3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Aoshi, would you keep me company tonight?"

It had been several hours since Aoshi had blown out the candles in our room. I had yet to fall asleep. Crickets chirped outside to the full moon as I lay on my futon, eyes open, staring at the ceiling. I let out a small sigh, closing my eyes. I was hardly tired any more. After the little chat Aoshi and I had, I couldn't bring myself to go to sleep. I turned to my right, where Aoshi was fast asleep on the futon next to mine. There was less than a foot's distance between us. I should have felt secure with just that.

But I wasn't.

I laid my back flat on the futon again, furious with myself. Wasn't it enough for him to have told me he loved me? After all of the warnings he and I had received, being able to sleep in the same room as him while we were in such danger, should have been enough for me.

But it wasn't.

Unable to take it anymore, I sat up from the futon and turned towards Aoshi again. He was asleep. What he didn't know, wouldn't hurt him... I would only give him a kiss, and then I would be able to go to sleep in peace. 

Careful not to make a sound, I gently traced my fingers against his jaw. I loved how peaceful he looked while he was sleeping. His lips were slightly parted, relaxed and ever so inviting. Before I stole my kiss, I licked my dry lips anxiously. Unable to stop myself, I pushed my lips against Aoshi's, more forcefully than I intended. It was just that once I got a taste of him, I only wanted more. I hadn't learned my lesson. I wanted to be taught it again. In the back of my mind, I feared that he would open his eyes.

But he wasn't.

Pulling away from the kiss, I could feel my entire body flush with desire. Oh, I wanted him so bad now. My hands began to think for themselves, levitating over the folds of his yukata, threatening to pull to reveal that scarred chest that I knew by heart.

But I stopped.

Staring in horror at what I was about to do, I quickly tumbled away. Absolutely shameless! Not only was I about to take Aoshi while he was sleeping, but in Himura's house no less. I fumbled for my blanket and stood up. My bare feet connected with the cold wood floor, quelling the fire that was building within me. I had to get out of the room. I had to get away from Aoshi as quickly as possible before I did something that I was going to regret. There was going to be no more hanky-panky until after this mission was over. Silently I opened the shoji door. My face was met with the brisk evening air. I took a deep breath before I stepped out of the room.

Aoshi was going to let me have it in the morning that was for certain. 

The dojo was exactly as I had remembered it. It had been years since I stepped foot inside. Kaoru-san had kept it up as best she could, considering it was all but abandoned as a school. I sat down on the floor, throwing the blanket aside for the moment. I need to calm down before I could possibly think about going back to sleep again. Why couldn't I control myself for two seconds in Aoshi's presence? It was beginning to drive me crazy. Before we "expressed" our love for one another for the first time, I could be in his presence with no problems whatsoever. But now, just smelling his scent drove my mind wild and made my nipples harden. Was there something terribly wrong with me?

"Could you not sleep?"

My head jerked to the side to see Aoshi standing in the open dojo doorway. His hand was against the doorframe. Because of his relaxed posture, his yukata gaped open, revealing most of his bare chest. I quickly turned away, keeping a close eye on the name tablets that hung from the wall. "N-no," I muttered.

"Did I do something to offend you?" I heard his footsteps coming closer to me.

I let out a half laugh, "Why would you think that?"

"Perhaps it is the fact that you cannot stand to touch me," he said, coming up behind me. Putting his hand on my shoulder, he made me turn around to face him. "Or look at me."

"Y-You were awake?"

"I was," he nodded.

"You've got me wrong," I said, pulling away from him. I walked over to the name tablets, gently touching the aged wood with my fingers.

I heard more footsteps. This time, they were walking away from me. "This is the second time you have abandoned me at night. How can I not assume?"

"It's not like you to jump to conclusions, Aoshi," I whispered.

"And it is not like you to leave my side without giving a reason," he retorted.

Touché. "It's not that I'm offended. I can't..." I hugged myself tight, trying to hold it all in. "It's hard for me to explain. But I can't control... myself... anything... when I'm around you,” I said, turning my head towards him slightly.

"I want you so bad, it hurts me when I can't touch you, Aoshi." He froze. "But I can't give into what I want. It's caused too much trouble, and now is not the time to feel like this," I said, turning away from him again. "Besides, this is Kaoru-san and Himura's house. It would be really inappr-"

I felt myself whirled around, once again facing Aoshi. Before I could say a word, he pulled me in close, pushing his lips against mine. My eyes widened as I pushed him gently away. "A-Aoshi!"

He silenced any more that I was going to say with another kiss, forcing his tongue into my mouth. When he pulled away, the both of us were panting for air. "I will be the one to say when showing your feelings for me is inappropriate," he said before kissing me again. He began to move down my neck, sucking on my skin hungrily as he went. I panted for air, trying to muster up the strength to stop him, but found myself unable to do so. When he finally reached the hollow of my neck, he stopped.

"This may be our last night together," he whispered into my neck breathlessly.

I cupped my hand around the back of his head. "No, we're both coming out of this," I whispered. And this time, I meant it. Without any doubts. I placed all of my belief in Aoshi.

He lowered both himself and myself, so our knees were on the cold wood floor. This gave me a better angle to kiss him. Instantly, I attacked his lips with mine, pushing hard, forcing my tongue into his mouth. He moaned as his lips responded, opening as to let my tongue explore freely. While my lips were busy, I pushed both of my hands up his chest, feeling each scar. Slipping my hands under his yukata, I pulled the light cloth off of his shoulders. I broke our kiss and began to kiss his muscular shoulders while undoing the tie on his yukata. Aoshi busied himself with getting my sleeping yukata off as well.

The both of us were in a frenzy. We attacked each other with such animalistic kisses, like the two of us hadn't seen each other in years. He was being so forceful with me that it aggravated the stab wound that had just been looked at. I let out a hiss of pain, and he immediately realized why. Aoshi, instead, moved to kissing my shoulder. Then, slowly he changed his position, facing my back. He pushed my braid off my shoulders as he lowered me to the floor. My bare breasts were pressed against the floor, making me even more anxious. Using his tongue, Aoshi traced down my spine, kissing the small of my back when he reached my bandages. Unable to take it any further, I turned over, pulling his head down to me. 

His erection dug into my stomach, only making me want him inside of me even more. My wound was throbbing, but at this point I didn't care. Throwing my weight, I rolled us over, me now on top. Copying his technique, I rolled my tongue across his broad chest, following the ripples of his abs. He let out a low moan when I stopped at his belly button. Taking the hint, I ran my tongue further down, licking the top of his erection. His eyes flashed open and suddenly I was tossed against the floor again. Before I could react, Aoshi was on top of me once more. He was panting heavily. Sweat was beginning to run down his brow. Leaning down, he conquered my lips with a deep kiss while his calloused fingers traveled down my stomach, heading to lower ground. I let out a low moan when he eased his fingers inside of me. I was already plenty wet and ready for him, but I supposed he wasn't ready to end our encounter yet. But if we didn't hurry, I was sure someone (probably Himura) would hear all the noise we were making. Well, all the noise I was making.

Biting the bottom of his lip, I pulled away from his kiss, my head softly bumping on the wood floor. "Tease," I harshly whispered.

In response, he shifted the position of his fingers within me. He struck one of my many spots that he had discovered, and achieved producing a loud moan from my mouth. "Noisy," he replied, a small smile on his face. I could have glared at him for that. But considering the things he was doing with his fingers inside of me, it made it very hard. 

I felt his fingers adjust inside of me once more, almost sliding out. He shifted his body lower. I could feel his tip on the inside of my thighs. Slowly, he eased himself into me. I closed my eyes as he did so, expecting the pain that I had become used to. Compared to the first time that we made love, this pain was nothing. When he was inside, he looked at me and said, "I want you to move for me."

I blinked. But before I could ask, he rolled the both of us over so I was on top. He was deeper inside of me it seemed. Instinctively, I shifted my body to try and become more comfortable. Aoshi let out a low rumble from his gut. Raising an eyebrow, I began to understand what he meant. Stretching my arms out, I slowly dragged my hands up his chest. My fingers played with his scars, rubbing against the softness of the scar tissue. While I did so, I rotated my hips slowly to the right and left. Try as he did to hold them back, Aoshi began to moan almost as loudly as I usually did with each thrust of my hips. Deciding to experiment, I began to shift towards him, and then slowly move back, which produced moans from the both of us. He sat up then, placing his large hand securely on the small of my back. The both of us began to move together, attempting to move in a pattern. Our thrusting quickly lost control as the both of us became more fevered with desire.

Aoshi lost his will to sit up, so we fell to the floor. I lay on his chest, continuing to move with him. I could feel everything bubbling inside. Inside I felt Aoshi release within me. He continued to thrust while my climax was building up as well. Suddenly a wave of pleasure hit me. My vision was filled with white dots as I lost all my strength. I collapsed against Aoshi's chest.

Aoshi rolled me to the floor, still inside me. A small smile crossed his lips before he lowered himself to me. His teeth gnawed into my skin, as he caressed my right breast with his hand. "Aoshi," I said in-between pants. "There is something I need to know."

I almost regretted saying something, because he stopped to look me in the eye. "What?"

"Were you also awake when I left in Kyoto?"

"I was."

"Why didn't you stop me?"

He sighed. "I wanted to understand what was going on. After you left, I went downstairs to find Okina. He told me everything." I must have made a disapproving face, because Aoshi then defended Jiya, saying, "He was worried." He leaned his head towards mine. "And so was I."

"I'm sorry," I said.

"You already apologized to me," he said before he gave me a quick kiss on the lips. "And I already forgave you." Another kiss, this one much longer than the last. When he pulled back again, he whispered, "No more words for tonight."

"Okay," I whispered as I leaned in for another kiss.

"That is a word, Misao," he teased as my lips brushed up against his.

"So it is," I replied, pushing my lips against his.


	22. Hunting of the Weasel Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Misao-san, we really need to stop meeting like this."_

There's something strange about waking up in a room that you were most certain you didn't fall asleep in. I remembered, vaguely, falling asleep in Aoshi's arms on the cold wood floor of the dojo. But I was back in the guest room of Himura's house-- the one I was _supposed_ to have fallen asleep in. Of course, the night before with Aoshi in the dojo might have been all a dream. However, my muscles told a different story. I winced as I sat up. Oh yes, there definitely was sex the night before. I felt as if I had run ten miles carrying Kuro on my back.

I quickly observed my situation. I was covered with my blankets, just as if I had actually fallen asleep there. Looking to my right, I saw that Aoshi's futon had already been folded and put away. What time was it? Scratching my head, I pushed the covers off of me and fumbled around for my clothing. I was moving slower than normal; my muscles felt like they had been tied into a thousand knots. I would have to see if Yahiko would spar with me, just to wake myself up. Today was not the day to be immobile.

Himura and Aoshi would be meeting Saitoh tonight, and I fully intended to go with them, welcome or not. Hey, I learned my lessons hard.

Of course, walking out of my door, I was greeted with Kenji-kun attaching himself to my legs with a loud, " _Sao-neechan_!"

Kaoru-san followed close behind, a nervous smile on her face. "Ah, good afternoon Misao-chan."

"Good after-" I mindlessly repeated, until I noticed the _afternoon_ part. "AFTERNOON?"

She could only laugh at me. "Uh-huh. Apparently you had some trouble sleeping last night, according to Aoshi-san," she said as she wriggled her eyebrows like she knew there was more to it. Putting her hand up to her mouth, she let out another giggle. "And here Megumi-san said to take it easy."

_Oh dear God_ , did he just tell the whole household that we had sex as he strolled off of the premise? A sort of ' _Oh, I'm going out for a stroll... oh, and by the way, I fucked Misao like a hurricane last night so let her sleep in_ ', type of thing? But wait- this was Aoshi I was talking about, not me. Clearing my throat, I looked Kaoru-san straight in the eye and bit the inside of my cheek to hide any oncoming blush. "I don't know what you're talking about, Kaoru-san..."

"Oh, I think you do," Kaoru smiled. "I think your hair does, too..."

I gave pause to that. I didn't even think about that when I got up. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw strands of hair sticking every which way. It had been left in the braid last night, but with the sweat and the tumbling and all... I didn't even want to know how the rest of it looked. "Oh... that."

We stared at each other for a few moments in silence, as if she was trying to will the truth out of me. But I wasn't going to explain every down and dirty detail of the night before with Kenji-kun hanging off of my knees.

"So Kenji-kun," Kaoru-san said, kneeling down to face the boy. "Sao-neechan and Ka-san need to talk, so go find Yahiko and play with him, 'kay?"

"'Kay!" He beamed up at his mother. And in a flash, he was gone. Gone to annoy Yahiko wherever the poor brat may be. Which left _me_ alone with Kaoru-san. Not something I really wanted.

She stepped forward, walking into the room, with a smile on her face. "Why don't I fix up your hair, hm? After all, we're going to be meeting the stupid wolf at the Akebeko soon."

"What?" I exclaimed, following her into the room without so much as a second thought. "I thought Saitoh was coming here!"

Kaoru shrugged. "Change of plans, I suppose. Kenshin sent a letter to Saitoh this morning asking to change the meeting place."

I blinked. "So Himura and Aoshi are actually going to let us come with them to Daidouji's tonight?"

"Oh no," Kaoru-san laughed. "But Kenshin and Aoshi-san decided that it would be a good idea to not leave from here, just in case Daidouji is planning something. They're going to meet with Saitoh and we're going to have dinner at the Akebeko while we are there-- not that I'm okay with this at _all_." She sat down on the floor, and motioned me to do the same. "I understand why Kenshin wants me to stay, but you--" she cut herself off. "Sorry." The both of us knew she had said too much.

I shook my head. "No, it's okay," I said, sitting on the floor in front of her so she could do my hair. "Aoshi has his reasons," I explained. "Not _very good_ ones, mind you. But he has them. And who's to say that I'm not going to follow them anyway..." Searching through my travel bag to the left of me, I pulled out my small comb and handed it to Kaoru-san.

She gave my hair a hard _yank_. "Oh, no you won't. If I have to stay and be the responsible one, you're going to be right there with me."

"Kaoru-san," I whined.

"I won't hear it! Aoshi-san said that you got hurt the last time you followed Saitoh and him to Daidouji's, and I'm not going to sit here and allow you to get hurt again."

"I won't get hurt."

"You should know better, Misao-chan," Kaoru chided, puling on my hair again. "Aoshi-san and everyone else will be worried about you if you go. So, promise me."

Letting out a long sigh, I said, "All right, I promise."

"Good," she said with a nod. "So, how do you want me to do your hair? Do you want me to put it in a braid, or leave it down so Aoshi-san can goggle you all night again?"

"Aoshi doesn't goggle, Kaoru-san."

"He did last night." I just sat there, dazed, trying to process the words coming out of Kaoru-san's mouth. It wasn't working. I know I should have said something in return, but I just couldn't think. So she kept on talking, only embarrassing me further. "He found your hair down so wonderful that the two of you stowed away to the dojo for a little rendezvous."

"H-how do you know that?" I stuttered. Maybe Aoshi _had_ told the whole household.

Patting me on the shoulder, Kaoru-san lowered her mouth to my ear and whispered, "Misao-chan, the two of you woke up the whole house last night." My face burned bright red. "So there's no point in trying to deny anything."

Not to say that I still wasn't going to try. "But- but-"

"Oh, it's okay," she was becoming sweeter by the minute. "Kenshin and I didn't mind. Yahiko probably did, but he'll get over it. I think he's learned to block it all out, thanks to me and Kenshin."

My eyes widened. Okay, now this was stuff I didn't want to hear or know about. 

"So did you like it in the dojo?" Kaoru-san asked.

My poor brain was already broken. The only thing I could muster out of my mouth as a very dumbfounded, "Huh-?"

Undoing the frayed braid, she began to run my comb through my hair. "Kenshin and I have done it in there lots of times. It's more fun at night, anyhow. You know, with the moon shining through the small windows, it's very romantic... although I have to admit that in the bath is a much more _pleasurable_ experience for both parties..."

She just kept on going on and on. When she started talking about the ways of undressing your partner while outside on the grass, my handle on reality was lost. My mind was reeling. What happened to the Kaoru-san who was embarrassed over Aoshi holding me the day before? When had Omasu-san, Okon-san and Maiko-san combined together to make the horny monster that was Kaoru-san giving me _sex advice_?

"Kaoru-san, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

I shifted my head a little bit, so I could at least see Kaoru-san in the corner of my eye. I was almost expecting to see devil horns on her head, or something. But alas, it was just regular old Kaoru-san. "Yesterday you were embarrassed about seeing Aoshi holding me, and now..."

"Well, I didn’t know about your engagement then, did I?" She smiled at me and made me face forward again. "You have to admit that seeing the two of you like that, without knowing any details, was a little strange for me. But now that I know the two of you are intending to get married, I don't have a problem with it. Besides, I'd rather you know _some things_ , instead of having to learn the way I did." She paused for a second in thought. "Of course, Aoshi-san could be using you for sex..."

"Kaoru-san..."

"But I don't think that Aoshi-san would be the type to do something like that..."

"Kaoru-san..."

"Of course, I really didn't think he would be the type to have sex in another person's house either..."

" _Kaoru-san!_ "

"Hm?"

I let out a long sigh. "Can you just braid my hair, please?"

"Oh... sure," I could hear the disappointment in her voice. "But could I just tell you about-"

" _No_ ," I interrupted.

At that moment, Himura's face appeared in the open shoji door, much to my relief. I was never happier to see him. Well, okay, obviously I was happier when I saw him bringing back Aoshi from Shishio's mansion, but _other than that_ , there hadn't been anything else. "Ah Kaoru-dono, Misao-dono, this is where you are."

" _Himura!_ " I happily cheered, bouncing over him. My still unfinished braid slipped through Kaoru-san's fingers. "Good afternoon!" _Get me away from your crazy wife_.

He smiled nervously at my anxiousness to see him. I'm sure he picked up on what the subject of what Kaoru-san and I were talking about. Or perhaps he heard part of it. "I wanted to see if the both of you are ready to depart for the Akebeko yet."

"Yes!" I exclaimed, pulling on the fabric overhang of his yukata. "Yes! Leaving now sounds good!"

"Where's Aoshi-san, Kenshin?" Kaoru-san asked, standing up.

On cue, from behind the shoji, Aoshi walked into our bedroom as well. "Good afternoon," he said quietly, not at _all_ looking me in the eyes. It was as almost as if he was embarrassed. Hm. Perhaps Himura had given Aoshi some "advice" as well. So the whole family was screwy, no scratch that, _horny_ , in the head. "We should take our leave if we are to follow the plan. Saitoh will not wait long."

Himura nodded. "Agreed. Shall we?" he asked as he headed out of the bedroom.

Kaoru-san quickly chased after him, "Let me go get Kenji-kun and Yahiko-kun!"

Which left Aoshi and I alone. Again. "So, uh..." I looked up at him. "What did you do today?"

"I accompanied Himura shopping for the household," he simply answered, still not looking at me. The air between us was particularly thick. It hadn't been this bad ever since Kobe. I was getting worried.

Eying him suspiciously, I took a step towards him. "Did Himura... say anything to you? Like you know, give some advice or anything..." I quickly explained.

Finally, Aoshi made eye contact with me. "No, why do you ask?" 

Shaking my head, I said, "Oh, nothing, nothing. Just making sure that you didn't go through what Kaoru-san just put me through." Aoshi raised an eyebrow. Laughing nervously, I blushed. "Um, the natures of Himura and Kaoru-san's sexu-"

Aoshi held up a hand to stop me. "Never mind. I do not want to know. I am sorry you had to go through that."

"That's okay," I said, shrugging. "I'll live." I took another step towards him, leaning my weight against his body. "I'll just have horrible, _horrible_ nightmares about Himura's magenta yukata being thrown about. And I'm not _even_ going into that o-furo, so don't ask me."

He let out a small chuckle then. "Really, Misao..." Wrapping his large hands around my shoulders, he pushed me away from his body. Not in a bad sort of way, so I wasn't offended. His left arm traced its way against my gi to where my braid was hanging over my shoulder. "Your braid is not finished," he observed.

"Oh?" I looked down. Sure enough, my hair was coming undone from what little braiding Kaoru-san had gotten to do. I instantly began to fix it, but Aoshi pushed my hands away.

"Let me," he said. My cheeks grew hot as I watched Aoshi slowly and carefully braid the three sections of hair together. Butterflies rushed up and down in my stomach as I could feel a tingling sensation all throughout my body.

Trying to say something, I finally muttered, "T-thanks."

When he reached the end of the braid, I pointed out where Kaoru-san had left the gold clasp that I normally used on the floor. Aoshi shook his head. "I will not be requiring it," he said. Before I realized it, he pulled out a small clasp from the belt of his uniform. It was a small clip that had a pink stone in the shape of a cherry blossom. Hanging from the clip were strings of beads, painted a pretty turquoise color.

I looked to Aoshi in surprise, "What's this?"

"I saw it while out with Himura. I thought it suited you, so I bought it." He paused, as if he was hesitant to say what he was about to. In a soft whisper, he explained, "You can think of it as my wedding gift."

"Ah-!" I leaped up, wrapped my arms around his shoulders and my legs around his waist. "Thank you! It's so pretty! I love it!"

"Misao-chan! Aoshi-san!" We both heard Kaoru-san call. Instantly I let go of my hold on him, and his arms wrapped around my waist, helping me back down to the ground. The both of us were getting quite good at handling our differences in height.

  
But where I thought Kaoru-san's little talk with me was torture, the walk to the Akebeko was pure hell. Like Kaoru-san had mused, Yahiko indeed was woken up in the middle of the night by our "mysterious" noises. But instead of making loud comments that would embarrass both Aoshi and myself, Yahiko walked beside me, muttering under his breath. "Oh, Aoshiiiii..." he mimicked quietly, letting out a few low moans.

I glared at him. It would have been probably more embarrassing for him to be louder, but I knew why he was torturing only me. Yahiko was still very leery of Aoshi, perhaps even still frightened of him, so the brat wasn't about to make a fool out of my Aoshi. But Yahiko had no problem with making me miserable. "Oh yes! Right there, Aoshiii..." Yahiko held himself tight, making a sort of strange face that looked like he was at the peak of ecstasy.

I brought out one of my kunai.

If he kept it up, I was going to make Yahiko a life-fearing brat. 

I moved closer to Aoshi as we walked the few blocks left to the Akebeko. It was almost sunset.

As we rounded the last corner, we all saw that Saitoh was very visibly waiting for our party to arrive. He was keeping himself busy by smoking a cigarette. Katana on his side, he was still dressed in his policeman's uniform, although he was missing his cap. He looked calm, but still very attentive. Nothing to see here, folks-- just your average Mibu's wolf waiting to bait a trap. Knowing what I did of Saitoh, I knew he sensed us coming long before he decided to look up. "Well, it's about time," he sneered, blowing smoke out of his nose. 

"We didn't expect you to be early," Himura commented, taking the lead of the group.

"And I didn't expect you to be late," Saitoh spat. "After all it was your idea to change the meeting place. If Daidouji is watching, he knows very bloody well where you and the Raccoon sleep." He motioned to the rest of the group as we came to a full stop, "And didn't I say to not bring any of your distractions?"

Both Kaoru-san and myself both huffed and crossed our arms at that comment. "They are simply here to have a meal, Saitoh. After all, the Akebeko is a restaurant," Himura said, motioning to the front door of the Akebeko.

With an eyebrow raised, Saitoh let out an unconvinced, "Uh-huh."

I had to admit, whatever Himura's plans were, they weren't making much sense to me either. Perhaps he was hoping that if there _was_ trouble, we could be back up. But since we didn't know where Daidouji's fortress was _either_ , that didn't make much sense at all. Bewildered, I eyed the back of the rurouni's head. But then again, when did _anything_ that Himura do make sense?

A smile crept on the wolf's face as he slowly figured out Himura's plan. "You're afraid that Daidouji's going to attack your house tonight, aren't you? If they are here when Daidouji's men attack, then they will be safe."

"Perhaps," Himura offered.

"There is no _perhaps_ about it, Battousai, that's exactly what your stupid brain is thinking!" Saitoh pitched his cigarette butt to the side and shook his head. "You never will learn, will you? Fine. It's time for us to go."

Himura turned to Kaoru-san, a smile on his face. Without words, the two embraced, holding each other tightly. It was probably the most touching scene I had ever seen. After a few seconds, Himura pulled back and kneeled down to face Kenji-kun. "You take care of Ka-san, okay Kenji?"

"Hai, _Oto_!" Kenji smiled and nodded.

Suddenly I was very aware that I should have been doing something with Aoshi. Like hugging, or kissing, or something. After all, they were going on a very dangerous mission-- without me. And I had given my word to Kaoru-san that I would stay with her. Still uncertain of what to do, I turned around to face Aoshi, only to see him walk past me towards Himura and Saitoh. He giving me the cold shoulder should have hurt me, but I understood. It was Aoshi's way to not say anything. Instead, he turned his head slightly, looking back at me other his shoulder. My heart skipped a beat. I took a step forward, but stopped myself. Why was I so anxious? I opened my mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Yahiko.

"Kenshin, can't I come too?"

Himura shook his head, "I need you to stay with Kaoru-dono, Yahiko. I need you to make sure they're safe for me. That's more important than coming with me."

Yahiko raised an eyebrow, "I've heard this speech before. The last time you gave it to me, I had to fight a guy with bat wings." Hitting his nose with his thumb, Yahiko sniffed. "Take your time, then," he said with a huge grin on his face.

Smiling, Himura patted the boy on his shoulders. "Be careful. And thank you for letting me use your sakabatou."

"It's _your_ sakabatou," Yahiko reasoned, raising his eyebrows. "I'm just returning it."

"Right," Himura said, comfortably putting his left hand around the hilt of the blade. It was as if it had never left his side. "And I'll give it _back_ to you as soon as we return."

I was so absorbed in Himura and Yahiko's conversation that I didn't realize that Aoshi and Saitoh had already began to walk away. I had missed my chance to say goodbye! Himura turned away from the group with a last wave. The rest of us just stood and watched. Their silhouettes began to blur in the haze of the sun as they continued to walk. I took a step forward, shaking like crazy.

What if something happened just because I didn't say goodbye?

Kaoru-san and the other two nodded to each other and made their way into the Akebeko. I still stood, my legs trembling. I couldn't run after him. I couldn't.

"Misao-chan?" I heard Kaoru-san say.

But my eyes were locked on the three men. Letting out a strangled scream of frustration, I sped towards the three, running as fast as my legs would carry me.

"Misao-chan!"

" _Sao-neechan!_ "

"There she goes again..."

It didn't take me very long to catch up with them. All three of them turned around as they heard my pounding footsteps race towards them, as I was not trying to hide my presence at all. I stopped in front of Aoshi, bending over and panting for air.

"Misao, you said you would stay with Himura Ka-"

Before he could finish reprimanding me, I leapt up and wrapped my arms around him, my legs flailing wildly behind me. Aoshi let out a surprised 'Oof!' as our chests collided. "I love you," I whispered into his ear. "I love you so much."

Surprisingly, I felt his arms wrap around the small of my back. "Be careful," he whispered in return, tightening his hold on me. Closing my eyes, I bent my head into the curve of his shoulder. I breathed in his scent deeply, trying to memorize it. I didn't want to let go. But I knew I had to.

"Are you finished yet, weasel?" I heard Saitoh quip. "I swear, you can't stand to be away from your _Aoshi-sama_ for more than three seconds, can you?"

With a sniff, I pulled back from Aoshi. Helping me back down to the ground, he held on to my hand, giving it an assuring squeeze. I smiled up at him before breaking contact and stomping over to Saitoh, my hands on my hips. "Did you say something?" I asked, eyebrows raised.

"I'm not saving your ass a second time," the wolf warned, narrowing his eyes in a glare.

"No need for you to," I scoffed. "I'm staying here, just like a promised. I just wanted to say goodbye to _Aoshi_."

With an eyebrow raised, Saitoh stared down at me, like he was trying to get me to admit something. But I wasn't. I gave Kaoru-san my word. "We'll see," he replied as he turned away, resuming walking towards Daidouji's. Aoshi and I stared at each other for a moment before he, too, began walking away.

But Himura lingered for a second. With a bright smile, he let out a small chuckle. "He really cares deeply for you, Misao-dono."

"Yeah," I said almost in a sigh. "I know."

  
Surprisingly, dinner was quiet. I was half expecting Yahiko to make his thoughts about Aoshi and I known to a louder level, but he instantly quieted down after we walked into the Akebeko. Tsubame working our table might have been part of it. We ate as slow as we possibly could, waiting to see if Aoshi and Himura would return. Kaoru-san and I jumped every time the Akebeko's doors opened up. But there was nothing, not even a police officer coming in to fetch us for backup. I wasn't shocked. Both Himura and Aoshi had made it clear that they didn't want Kaoru-san or me involved.

When Kenji-kun became fussy, we decided that it would be the best time to go home. The moon was high above us when we set foot out on the street again. There were still people on the street, but I could tell that it was getting very late. Perhaps Aoshi and Himura had already returned by the time we got back to Kaoru-san's house. I doubted it, but I could hope, couldn't I?

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Yahiko getting closer to my side. I let out a loud sigh. "What is it _now_ , Yahiko? Coming to torture me some more?"

"Shh..." he hissed. "Do you hear that?"

I took a moment and listened very carefully for whatever Yahiko was being paranoid about. Footsteps. Someone was following us. Suddenly I felt the mysterious person's presence. "Yeah, I do," I whispered back.

"What should we do?" he asked.

"Split up. You make sure Kaoru-san and Kenji-kun get home safe."

Yahiko furrowed his eyebrows. "Why should I listen to you?"

"Because I'm older than you, and you should listen to your elders," I reasoned with an affirmative nod.

"So what?" Yahiko countered. "I could take 'em just as well as you could."

I glared at the brat. "Look, don't argue with me on this. I'm shinobi, you aren't. It's as simple as that. Where I'll be able to sneak around and catch them by surprise, you won't. Besides, if they do chase after Kaoru-san, you should be there to protect Kaoru-san."

"Kaoru can pro-" I gave him a knowing look. It was true, Kaoru-san _could_ protect herself, but not Kenji-kun as well. He would distract her, and could even get killed in the fray. Kaoru-san needed someone with her. "All right, all right, I'll go. Just don't get lost, okay?"

I smirked. It was his way of telling me to be careful. It was almost sweet. Almost. "Don't worry," I said as I patted him hard on the back. "Okay, I'll split off at the next street--"

As we walked past the intersection, I dashed off in towards the right. I hid in a dark corner between two shops. Waiting. Listening. I heard Yahiko pull Kaoru-san from behind me, making her hurry to the house. The scuffling of sandals quickly disappeared, and once again everything was quiet. Now there was nothing left to do but wait until the mysterious someone following us chased after Kaoru-san and the others. And then I would attack from behind. I smirked in the darkness. This was going to be too easy.

I only had to wait a few seconds before a figure dressed only in black followed in pursuit of Kaoru-san and Yahiko. To un-trained eyes, he wouldn't have been able to be seen, but I could see him just fine. He did a good job of avoiding the light coming from the flickering torches. He went back and forth across the street, hiding in the shadows just as I had. If it had been Yahiko who split off from our group, I was pretty sure he wouldn't have been able to catch this guy. Taking a deep breath in, I quickly followed after him, following his exact movements. Hiding where he was hiding. Apparently no one ever taught this guy to keep an eye out in all directions for would-be enemies. He also had not sensed my presence. He lost any respect he had in my book.

With a burst of speed, I dashed ahead of him. On his next crossing, I decided I would attack. It was right before another intersection, so it would provide me another easy hiding spot to see if there were any others that might have been following pursuit.

I threw two kunai his way, making sure I would miss. Sure it's not the way of a shinobi to be known to your enemies, but it had been a long while since I had had a nice hand-to-hand fight, and I really didn't want to kill the guy anyway. He could have had information on Daidouji. Unconscious is always so much better than dead. The two kunai went deep into the ground, right next to his left foot. With a hiss of breath, he looked towards me. I was already in the middle of a roundhouse kick. He fell to the ground, completely unprepared for the impact. "Oh come on," I complained. "I was hoping for it to be longer than that."

The man in black leapt to his feet, and brought out a tanto. Apparently, I had bruised his ego. He attacked me from above with an overhand slice; I blocked with my left hand, pivoting and kicking him again with my right foot. I felt the satisfying impact with his soft side, and I allowed myself a small smirk. I quickly readied myself to attack again, but the man in black jumped back and began to charge at me. I could see I wasn't getting very far with him. Barely dodging the attack a second time, I felt my left shoulder sting. He barely scratched me, but I could feel the dampness of blood beginning to cling to my clothing. Jumping back, I took out two more kunai and threw them at him. One landed in his shoulder, the other in his neck. He was dead on impact. With a loud 'thump', the corpse fell on the ground.

With a loud sigh, I wiped the sweat from my brow as I looked down at the corpse. Well, I had meant to keep him alive. I looked at my wound. It was hardly deep at all, really. Blood was dripping down my arm, giving it nice dark streaks of red. I would have to wrap it up once I got back to Kaoru-san's.

As I walked away from the corpse, I heard the distinct sound of a katana blade being drawn. I looked up with a gasp and found that there were five men dressed in black surrounding me, all with katana ready to strike. Just ignore what I had said about being able to sense the enemy. The one to my right gave a loud yell as all five of them ran towards me. Squatting down to the ground, I dodged the first attack. I rolled away from him, and jumped high into the air, kicking him in the back. He fell to the ground.

The other four didn't even stop to hesitate.

As I dodged their heavy swings of the katana, I readied three more kunai. I only had a few left, so I would have to make the hits count. I threw two to my right, killing the man coming for me, and one in front of me, landing in another's knee. He screamed in pain, but did not falter from his overhand swing. I jumped to left and stepped toward him, trying to avoid another swing of his katana. I rounded a punch into his back, and he took a few faltering steps forward as he tried to get his balance again. I readied myself for another wave of attacks from the three still standing.

But from around us, there were several clicks. I knew that sound. It was the sound of the hammer on a gun. I was surrounded. There was no way out of this one.

Suddenly there was someone behind me, hand on my left shoulder. I winced in pain, as it made the wound I had received sting a little. The hand eased its way to my neck, trying to be seductive.

It didn't work. 

In my right ear, a voice whispered hoarsely, "Misao-san, we really need to stop meeting like this."

My eyes widened in shock as I realized whose voice it was.

"Daidouji..."


	23. Revenge is a Dish Best Served in Bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Why can't you just kill me like other bad guys would?"

"Daidouji..." I gasped.

His lips were pressed against the outside of my ear. I felt them shift into a smile. "Why Misao-san, I'm so pleased that you remember me."

"How could I forget?" I said, jerking my shoulder away from his grip. "After all, you have left a _permanent_ message to Aoshi on my body." Turning to face Daidouji, I glared at him and the ten-some lackeys that still had their guns pointed towards me.

Daidouji was dressed in a suit that was all one color again. Because of the night's darkness, I couldn't make out what color, but it looked like pale blue in the moonlight. His wide grin promised pain, and how much delight he would take in it. He put his hand over his heart, as if wounded. "Ah, Misao-san, that hurts me. You and I both know that your husband doesn't act until things get serious."

"What are you going to do with me?" I asked, readying my guard. Yeah, it would be pointless to fight against a bunch of guns pointed towards my head, but my ninja instincts were kicking in.

"Let's just say..." Daidouji tilted his head back with a small laugh. "That the wife of Shinomori Aoshi is a very precious component to my plan of revenge." As he spoke, he circled around behind me, making me even more nervous.

And then I said something I probably shouldn't have: "I'm not Aoshi's wife. It was a cover-"

"Oh, I’m well aware of what you two planned, make no mistake. But if you really don't think me holding you captive will have any effect on Shinomori, then my dear you are far more naive than I pegged you for." He learned close to my ear again and added in a whisper, "And believe me, that is saying something."

"Wha-" but before I could give him a good come back, and maybe punch him in the face, I felt a sharp pain on the back of my head. My vision blurred, with dark fog clouding around me. I felt myself falling to the ground, but was unable to stop it.

"Sweet dreams," I heard Daidouji say before the darkness took me over completely. 

  
It's always unnerving to wake up, twice in a row, in rooms I was very sure I didn't go to sleep in. However, unlike that morning when I woke up glowing, albeit very sore form some heavy sex, my head was now throbbing and not in the good way.

Quickly I assessed my situation. I was sitting in a very nice room, furnished with a huge Western bed that had dark green drapes hanging all around it. The wall to my left was covered with books, with two large red leather seats placed in front, and a table in-between the two. Hanging from the ceiling was the biggest, and most elaborate, chandelier I had ever seen. With branches of gold and crystals, it almost covered the entire ceiling. And then there was me, hands chained to the wall just above my head. If it weren't for me being, you know, held _prisoner_ , it would have been a pretty nice room.

Other than my head, I didn't really hurt anywhere else, which meant they hadn't done any extra damage to me while I was unconscious. So not only were they bad guys, but they were bad guys that had a conscience and decided not to take advantage of my situation. Weren't they kind? Although, I did feel some crust on my face. It was probably dried blood from the street fight, and hopefully not my own.

I let myself slip into a daze, staring at the floor. I knew that if I acted like I was broken, it would only be a matter of time before someone came into the room to gloat. And then maybe I could get a handle on where exactly I was and what they were planning to do with me. 

It didn't take long for Daidouji himself to come into the room, a wide grin still plastered on his face. Once again, he was dressed in a gaijin suit, however this one was a dark royal blue. It reminded me of a suit that Aoshi had. Of course, Aoshi looked better in it.

"Well Misao-san, finally you decide to join us," he said, opening his arms wide like he was waiting for a hug. Even if I weren’t chained up, I wouldn't have given the man a hug. Rather, I'd given him a nice kick in the groin. Sure, it probably would've gotten me killed, but it would have been worth it.

"How long was I out?" my voice sounded as if I hadn't had a think to drink in a month. I prayed I hadn't been unconscious all that time. Daidouji, I was sure, didn't have the good graces to tell Aoshi and the others that I was all right, or that I was being held captive. I could only rely on Yahiko telling the others about the presence that was sensed before I split off that night. Me relying on Yahiko? I was doomed.

"Oh," he looked at the ceiling in thought. "About three days or so. I was beginning to fear that you might never wake up."

"I'm so sure," I retorted.

He took a few steps toward me, closing the door to the room. "No, I mean it. After all, what good are you to me if you're brain-dead?"

"So it's information you want?" I wriggled on the floor, as if that could possibly free me from the chains. "Well I hate to tell you, Daidouji, you're not getting anything from me. I'd rather die then help you hurt Aoshi or Himura-san."

Daidouji raised an eyebrow. "I notice you left out the faithful wolf that has followed you all around."

I let out a short laugh. "Like I care about what happens to Saitoh. Even if I did, I wouldn't have information to give you. Saitoh is an annoying enigma."

He chortled, showing his white teeth in the room's candlelight. "All too true. However, what I'm after is not information," he said as he lowered his body so he could stand on his knees. Our faces were only inches away from each other. "What I'm after... is revenge," he whispered harshly.

I scoffed. "Can't you think of anything more original than that?"

A smirk formed on his lips. "Oh, believe me, it's a very cunning brand of revenge," he was still whispering. As he spoke, he eased his head toward mine until he finally captured a kiss from my lips. My eyes widened in shock. It was pointless to try and pull away, as he slammed my head against the wall behind me. His lips pushed hard against mine, and not in the good way. It was the most ugly, pain filled, kiss I had ever experienced. Unable to take it anymore, I bit down on his lower lip. He pulled away with a glare on his face. "That was cruel, Misao-san."

A few incomprehensible sputters left my mouth before I finally managed, "I thought you liked men."

"Oh I do," he said, his finger tracing my chin. "But for you, I'll make an exception." With a quick jerk, he licked my nose and then stood up before I throttled him. How I would throttle him remains a mystery. But if he hadn't of stood up, I would have. Really. "Besides," he said, sliding his hand through his already very greasy slicked back hair. "You look so much like a boy, that it's easy for me to pretend that you are."

That was the last straw. Kicking my legs furiously, while shaking the chain that held me to the wall, I started screaming nonsense. I was going to kill him. Or at least knock him down and kick the hell out of him so he would have nice _feminine_ footprints all over that slimy face of his for the rest of his life.

"Now, now," he said, shaking his head. "If you keep acting like that, I won't unchain you."

I calmed down a little bit, but I continued to mutter under my breath. Unchain me? I didn't realize that Daidouji was so foolish. If he unchained me, I could easily escape from-- well, there were no windows in the room, but the door only had one lock that I could see. It was as if he _wanted_ me to escape. And then I noticed that the door actually had no handle. How in the world--

Daidouji smiled. "Planning your escape?"

I cocked my head to the side. "I was thinking about it."

His grin widened. "We'll see." He turned his back to me and began to walk towards the door.

"Hey!" I cried. "You said you would unchain me!"

"Only if you behave," Daidouji said, pointing at me. "Are you going to behave?"

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? I already told you, I wouldn’t give you any information."

"And I told you I don't want any," he said, turning to face me once more. "Honestly, Misao-san, I know more about your Aoshi than you do. What I mean by behaving is..." Slowly walking towards me, he slunk his left arm around the small of my waist and forced me to stand up, very uncomfortably. "Is that you will let me do _anything_ to you."

"But Aoshi and I-"

"You said so yourself, Misao-san, you are not married to him, so he therefore has no claim on you-" As he spoke, his right hand traced up my skin, starting at my knee and slowly going up to the brim of my uniform bottom. His fingers played with the material, hinting they wanted to go higher.

"What-" I swallowed down the disgust. My heartbeat thundered in my ears as I tried to find the strength to speak without screaming. "What would you accomplish from--"

A smirk formed on his chapped lips. "They will inevitably come to save you, once I allow the Tokyo police know where you are, that is. And when they do, I would have the pleasure of telling Aoshi that I made love to the woman he loves. Your red crying eyes and pleas will be my proof. Your devotion to that man will be his undoing. He will die in a terrible rage." With a cackle he added, "But as you have said, girls are not in my preference, so it would be easier for the both of us if you didn't struggle." He leaned towards me, taking a deep whiff of my hair. "It's been so long since I've had a woman. I'm not sure if I could do it without your cooperation. I wouldn't want to hurt you, now, would I?"

The sadistic shine in his eyes told me it would be painful either way, so I wasn't very inclined to help him. "Why can't you just kill me like other bad guys would?" I asked, trying not to be as uncomfortable as I was at that moment.

"All in due time," Daidouji said as he ran his fingers through my hair. "So what will it be, Misao-san?"

"I would rather die than have sex with you," I harshly whispered.

"Wrong answer," Daidouji whispered before slamming my head into the wall.

I winced in pain while my senses whirled with the impact. Daidouji stood tall above me. "I never took you for a masochist, Misao-san. But then again," he said with a smirk, "You _are_ in love with _that man_." He once again walked to the door, knocked twice, and then it inwardly opened. "I'll be back this evening to see if you change your mind." And with that, he closed the door.

  
When Daidouji said later, he really meant it. I sat there for hours, trying to figure a way to escape. First and foremost, I had to get my hands undone, which meant agreeing to do what Daidouji wanted. If the binding around my hands had been made of rope, I would have had some sort of chance. Chains were a lot harder to wriggle out of. So saying yes to Daidouji it would be. Daidouji without any weapons, or clothes, would be a lot easier to overcome and escape from. Physically, he out matched me. But I had never seen the bastard wave around more than a gun and his wimpy tanto, so I could only assume (and pray) that I could beat him out with technique. And hope his idea of sex didn't include a weapon of any kind. What held me back was the matter of how I could overpower Daidouji. I was certain they had taken my kunai when they captured me. For one, I didn't feel their weight in my clothes, but I also knew that Daidouji, or rather his men, weren't complete idiots. So no kunai. However, unless Daidouji's men were brave enough to venture into my bow, I still had a smoke bomb with me. It had been a gift from Hannya when I was little, and I kept it with me more as a remembrance than defense. But Hannya would understand, I'm sure. Now I had a plan. Sort of.

All I could do was wait.

But waiting was the hard part. With waiting all my mind could do was go over what was to come. What if they _had_ taken my smoke bomb, what then? How could I face Aoshi after being defiled in such a way? Would he even want me afterwards? Three very good questions that I didn't want answers to.

I felt so sick. My head was still swimming; sick was fighting its way up the back of my throat. I swallowed hard, trying to push it all back. In order to escape, I would have to be a lot more calm than I currently was.

The door to my room finally opened. I looked up with a gasp. It was now or never.

"Well Misao-san?" Daidouji said, grinning. "Have you come to a decision?"

"Unchain me," I said quietly.

Daidouji put his hand to his ear. "What was that?"

"Unchain me," I repeated, trying my best to use the same monotone that Aoshi used. Instead it came out more of a somber plea.

He grinned wider. "Tell me what I want to hear first. I need to hear you say you want me to take you willingly."

"Take me..." I whispered, lowering my head. "Daidouji..."

"Congratulations, Misao-san! You have just made things much easier for both you and I." He backed up to the door again, without turning his back towards me. He knocked once, and then he took a step forward. Two men came into the room.

One had shaggy brown hair that hung in his eyes. I assume that he grew it out to hide the horrible scar that ran from his nose to his left cheek. He failed. The other had dark hair pulled back in an illegal ponytail. He glared at me when he entered the room. Both had katana ready to be drawn. The one with dark hair even had his hand on the sword's hilt, ready to strike me down. I now recognized him as one of the ones who attacked me in the street. I guess he was feeling a little sore being beaten by a girl.

Glaring at Daidouji, I crossed my legs. "I never said I would do it in front of an audience," I spat.

"And I never said you wouldn't. They are my," he smirked, "protection." He looked over to the two lackeys and held out his right hand. "Keys," he boomed.

The brown haired one handed Daidouji the keys, to which I hoped unlocked the chains and were not to some second horrible surprise. The two shared a shady laugh.

Shit, I hadn't put two by standers into my equation of escape. I wasn't sure how large an explosion of smoke the bomb would give off. It might have been large enough to encompass the whole room, but I wasn't sure. That is-- if I had the smoke bomb. We were still playing _that_ game.

Daidouji unlocked the chains around my hands. Instantly, the stinging of my wrists eased a little. I rubbed them gently as I brought them down to eye's view. My poor wrists were a lovely pink color. Bruises would be forming there too, no doubt. Before I could move any further, Daidouji took hold of my hands and dragged me over to the bed in the middle of the room. "Now, Misao-san..." he said, throwing me onto the bed. As my body bounced off the mattress, he straddled himself on top of me.

"Wait-" I said, trying to indiscreetly find the smoke bomb hidden in my bow. "I know what Aoshi did to Kanryuu, and if this is all to get even--"

"What would you know about all of that?" Daidouji snapped, slapping me across the face. I wiped my free hand over my mouth. Blood. Great, that's all I needed. "Not only did your precious Aoshi and Battousai destroy a very profitable outlet, for they ruined me entirely. It's taken me this long to rebuild my life," he lowered himself down so our faces were only breaths apart. "And now it's time to do the same favor for them."

"But--" I gasped, still furiously searching in my bow. "But killing them won't make things even."

The smile he gave me then made me pause. Never had he terrified me so much with that smile. "No, but killing you in front of Aoshi will. Their deaths are just an added bonus."

"You're sick," I spat.

"Glad you finally realize that," he said, cradling my jaw with his large hand. He then pushed his lips hard against mine. I moaned in protest, but it hardly seemed to do any good.

Finally, I felt the smoke bomb against my fingertips. I clenched my fist around it and brought my hand outside of my bow. Daidouji's hands slipped down my chest, tracing the collar of my gi. He yanked it open, revealing my breasts. I wriggled under his strong thighs. True, I didn't really want him to see me naked, as that was only for Aoshi's eyes, but what I was _trying_ to do was get closer to the floor. The bomb wouldn't go off unless I threw it against a hard surface, and the bed was nowhere near hard enough.

Daidouji grit his teeth, squeezing his thighs harder, making it painful to wriggle. "We'll have none of that," he remarked.

It was going to have to be close enough. With a hard flick of my wrist, I threw the bomb against the wood floor. The room instantly filled with smoke. Daidouji, in his fit of coughing, eased his grip on my body enough that I could take his hand and flip him to the floor. I dashed for the door, hoping the two lackeys had been affected as well. They were both coughing, but to make sure they wouldn't produce any trouble, I snuck up behind the brown-haired one. With a firm shop to the neck, he was down for the count. The other lackey turned in the direction of the noise, but I was already on top of him, kneeing him in the stomach. He bent over in pain, trying to catch his breath. I groped for the door in the smoke. When I finally felt the frame, I knocked twice, remembering that it had been Daidouji's little signal that he wanted out before. The door opened, and I could see again.

The confused guard who opened the door had managed a "what the-" before I slammed myself into him, elbows first. He toppled over, the wind knocked out of him. I took a quick glance around me. There were three more guards, standing there shocked, and two hallways. One in front of me led straight and stairs to the left of me. But the guards quickly were over their shock, and drew their katana. I avoided two swings, and jumped onto the head of the fallen guard, leaping towards the stairs on my left. I assumed, from how cool it had been in the room and hallway, that we were bellow ground. Hence, the stairs. They seemed to go on forever. Behind me, the sounds of footsteps grew louder, along with grunts and shouts of warning to the guards up ahead. I tried to run as fast as I could, praying I didn't trip and fall flat on my face and into the ever-growing group on my tail. Finally, I saw an open doorway at the top of the stairs. It was a dark storage room. My eyes adjusted instantly. The room was filled with stacks of boxes, marked with different types of gun parts. There was a scramble from down the stairs. I hid myself behind a large stack of boxes.

"Find her, damnit! Before she finds the exit-" I heard Daidouji seethe.

So I was close, that was good to know. The guards began knocking over stacks of boxes. I used the cover of loud noise to scrabble further away from them.

"Maybe she already escaped," I heard a voice say.

"Tch, damnit. You two go check outside, make sure she's not out there. I doubt she could have gotten off the premise already." Two guards ran right past the box I was hiding behind. With a smile, I followed the sound of their footsteps, silently thanking Daidouji for showing me the way out. However, one of my two leaders knocked over a box. The loud clatter echoed throughout the storage room. They both turned behind to see what had fallen as I jumped behind a large crate.

"What was that?" someone said.

"Nothing," another replied. "Tanaka just knocked over a box."

"I did not," the clumsy Tanaka replied. "I was just running so fast that the wind behind me knocked it down."

"Yeah, whatever," his buddy said.

Daidouji sounded closer now. "Would you two idiots go after her? Or would you rather I kill you two instead of her when she escapes?"

The two ran for it. I followed, careful of what had spilled. Curious, I looked to see what had fallen. The box had contained two firecrackers. I raised an eyebrow. Daidouji had said that the police didn't know where this location was, and I sure as hell didn't know where we were. I picked up one of the firecrackers and hoped they were smart enough bad guys to have torches outside.

The moon was high in the sky, painting everything a light blue color. The night was more sticky than it should have been for early fall. Reminisce of summer holding onto the weather, I suppose. My would-be captors were a few yards ahead of me, searching the forest that surrounded the fortress. I snuck in the shadows, trying to find a landmark, something that I could help me identify where I was. But there was nothing but trees. On the boarder of the surrounding forest, there were torches, just as I had hoped. My luck, for once, was looking up.

I sped by one of the torches and lit the firecracker. After it shot up in the sky, I made a break for it into the forest. I had to get as far away as possible from the blast, since it would tell everyone, including Daidouji and friends, where I was.

Sweat was pouring down my forehead, while my legs protested heavily on running at top speed again. My heartbeat thumped loudly in my ears as I fought the urge to throw up again. I couldn't stop running. Because if I did-

I felt my one of my feet get caught on a branch. Down I went, face first into the ground. Typical. Pulling my foot free from the branch, I flexed it to make sure that it wasn't twisted. Lucky for me, it wasn't. But as I pushed myself up to stand, I felt something cold and sharp press against my neck.

"It seems you want it the hard way, Misao-san." I knew that voice. I cringed in fear as he pulled me up to stand, facing towards him. Daidouji held both my hands tightly with one hand, a tanto in his other. "You could have just said so, you know," he said, grinning wildly. He threw me down to the ground again, putting his foot firmly against my spine. "But since you had to go and ruin my surprise, I suppose I should change my tactics." I felt a pulling on my braid. With a swift slice, I heard the tanto slice through something, and instantly the tension on my braid was gone.

"Wha-" I said as I turned my head to see what he was doing. In his hand was my braid.

When I pushed up against the ground, Daidouji only forced his foot deeper into my spine. "Now, now," Daidouji shook the tail of the braid in my face. "I'm sure other body parts will hurt more if I cut them off." Bending his upper body over, so his face could be closer to mine, his whispered, "Would you care to find out?"

I lowered my head, my noise scraping against the dirt. Biting my lip to stay quiet, I closed my eyes. I could tell he was furious, and I wasn't about to find out how far he would take punishment. 

"Very good. Now be a good girl and come along." I felt the hilt of his tanto connect with the back of my head just before I lost consciousness.

Daidouji really had to get a new act, because I was getting sick of being knocked out.


	24. An Unexpected Visitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "No, your problem is you don't think."

Being chained to a wall is not something I would recommend for a person to wake up to. In fact, it's probably one of the worst situations to wake up to, because as soon as you feel that hard steel against your wrists, you know it will be impossible to escape. This was the second time I had woken up to that nightmare, and I was getting downright sick of it. Daidouji had placed me back in the room he had held me before, though it was without the fancy furniture and lovely bed. The only reason I knew that it was, in fact, the same room was because of that ridiculously elaborate chandelier that still hung from the ceiling. I was willing to bet that he didn't have two of those cooped up in his "hideout", so I was pretty positive it was the same room. Why was the furniture removed? Who knows. Probably it was Daidouji's personal furniture, and he had it moved to "my room" in hopes to make the environment for _raping me_ a little bit more comfortable. Or maybe he just didn't think the bland walls worked well with the very expensive furniture. I was willing to bet it was the first one, though.

Without any guards, nor any windows, it was impossible for me to guess how long I had been unconscious _this_ time. I was hoping that Daidouji would pop his ugly head back into the room to taunt me some more, so I could get a handle on things again, but he hadn't. No one had come to see me since I had woken up. That could've meant one of two things. One, they didn't care that I was up. Or two... it didn't matter that I was up, because I was going to be killed anyway. I didn't like either of those options, really. My impressions of Daidouji had been that he was a very vain man, who liked to flaunt his victories and his very obvious ability to be able to out-step all of us all of this time. I didn't say he had a truthful perspective of himself; so don't for once think that I am saying that I was admitting defeat. It just scared me that he hadn't come to gloat at re-capturing me after my, dare I say, _brave_ escape attempt that no one this side of Tokyo had seen. I know my cunning quick-thinking would have made Aoshi proud. Probably. Okay, I'm not fooling anyone here, but he would have been at least a little relieved that I wasn't completely useless. I had lit the firework-

The signal! I had completely forgotten about that. Since I lit the firework, anyone in the area would know exactly where Daidouji's "secret" hideout was. Perhaps the reason why Daidouji hadn't come to gloat was because he was too preoccupied with protecting his ever-pathetic domain!

I quieted my breathing for a second, straining to hear any clashing of swords or gun blasts. But nothing. Of course, since I knew that the room was underground, it could have been possible that perhaps, just maybe, the battle was going up above ground and that's why I couldn't hear it. But that was just about as likely as Aoshi being proud of my failed attempt to escape. With a loud sigh, I gently leaned by head against the wall behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see the frayed strands of my hair, now cut just above my shoulders. Daidouji had said that he was going to change his tactics as he waved my braid in my face. What had he intended to do with the braid? Surely he didn't want it for his own collection. No, knowing him, he had some sick intention with it that I couldn't even fathom.

The handle-less door began to crack open. The sound of the door creaking snapped me out of my lament for my lost braid and brought my attention to the person entering. Finally, Daidouji had come to boast, and I could try and figure out my next course of action. 

But the person who entered the room was not Daidouji.

"Well, well, Weasel-girl. I can't say that I'm surprised to see you here."

"Saitoh!" My eyes widened as I realized what Saitoh finding me meant. An escape, freedom, the sun, Aoshi. If I could've leapt to my feet, I would have. But chained hands make that a little difficult.

The wolf took a few steps toward me. "I thought I might find you here. But, I must admit, I thought it would be in much more dire conditions."

"Don't let that door close!" I called just as the door clicked shut. I let out a deep sigh and then shouted, "It has no handle inside!"

Saitoh looked to me with eyebrows raised. "And since when have closed doors stopped me?"

I shrugged. "I suppose you're right." Although I couldn't help but begin to wonder just how Saitoh thought he was going to get out. You know, without alerting everyone in the compound that he had been here. "I would think that being chained to a wall in a room with no way out was a pretty dire condition, though."

"Not as dire as being dead," he offered with a bigger smirk.

"Now where would you even get an idea like that?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. "Are you saying that I can't handle myself even when I'm a prisoner?"

Saitoh barked in laughter then, shifting his weight. "No, Weasel, I don't doubt that you'd make an excellent prisoner. Two nights ago there were fireworks let off near this area, alerting Tokyo police to this compound that we had previously overlooked to be Daidouji's hideout. I can only assume that was you."

I smirked. "What? Saitoh giving me credit for doing something smart? I'm in shock!"

"Ah," he offered, holding up one of his hands. "Don't be so quick to think I'm offering you praise. Only you would do something so blatantly stupid and rash."

"Hey," I growled. "At least it got you guys here, didn't it? Who knows how long I would’ve been rotting in this room, with Daidouji trying to _rape_ me, before your police found this place." 

"If I could finish," the wolf replied, looking cool as ever. He took a cigarette out from his jacket and lit it. "Where was I?" he asked, blowing smoke out of his nose. "Oh yes, your stupidity. And my theory on your actions was proven correct yesterday when the Himura household was sent a braid of your hair, and a note from Daidouji saying, in essence, that you were dead. And since there were _no guards_ outside the room, I hardly expected to find you here, quite alive."

It took me a few seconds to let all of that sink in. "They... Aoshi... thinks I'm dead?" my voice cracked as I spoke.

Saitoh sighed, but I could tell he was grinning. "Indeed." Taking a long drag from his cigarette, he added, "He didn't take it that well, I'm afraid. He didn't speak a word, but his eyes were screaming for blood. The last time I saw him like that, I sent him on the trail to Kyoto to kill the Battousai."

A cold chill ran down my spine as I thought of how frightening Aoshi was that day he tried to slay Jiya. "But now you know I'm alive, so you can tell him!" I said hopefully.

Tilting his head to the side, Saitoh's grin grew wider. "And why on Earth would I do a stupid thing like that?"

" _What?_ " I exclaimed.

"Let me make it simple for you, Weasel. It has taken this long for Shinomori to recover from the deaths of his four friends, can you just imagine how long he will take to get over the death of you?"

I narrowed my eyes. "You bastard."

"I need him to be the killer he can be," Saitoh said, shrugging. "His current state will be ever so helpful when we take this place tomorrow."

"So that's why you're here," I quipped. "You're checking things out."

"And checking to see if my hunch was true," he said, nodding to the chains on my wrist.

Raising an eyebrow, I asked, "So does that mean you're going to get me out of here?"

"What did I just say, Weasel? I don't want your lover boy to lose his ability to think clearly again, so no, I'm not going to help you out, either. Having Shinomori think that Daidouji killed you will give him the strength of anger."

"A strength he shouldn't have!" I retorted, struggling against the chains to jump Saitoh and punch him in the face. "Haven't you learned what he can do?"

"And that is precisely what we need. And I think," Saitoh added, taking in a puff of smoke, "It's what Daidouji wants. Why else would he go to all of these lengths to imprison you?"

"I hadn't thought of that," I said, shrugging.

"No, your problem is you _don't think_."

I decided to ignore that. "You won't even take these chains off?" I pleased, with the big watery eyes and pouty mouth that always allowed me to get my way with Jiya.

The wolf rolled his eyes. "Then they will know someone contacted you directly. Don't you-"

In the distance we both heard a loud shrill screaming of an alarm whistle, followed by what sounded like an explosion. I grinned widely at Saitoh. "Looks like someone knows you're here already. All you have to do is get these chains off-- I'll get out of here on my own."

"Tch. So much for following my orders, those fools." Saitoh turned away and walked over to the door. "If I freed you, they would probably kill you when they found you, Weasel, because you would do something stupid, like try to escape." Turning to face me again, he pointed at me, his eyes narrowed. "Now listen to me, Weasel: Do not tell them what we discussed. Do not even tell them it was I who came to see you. And maybe, maybe, you will not be hurt."

"If that's a threat, Saitoh-"

"Not hurt by me, Weasel," Saitoh said, turning to face the door again. "By Daidouji." And with that, he took his katana out and blasted through the door with his Gatotsu. So much for being discreet. When the debris cleared, he was already gone.

Within minutes, Daidouji was at my door with five men. His face was red with anger, and his normal immaculate appearance was covered with dust. Wild strands of his greasy hair were all over the place. He seemed to be even less pleased when he saw the condition of my "cell" door. "Who was here?" he steamed, stomping towards me.

"When?" I blinked.

"Just now." He took a few more steps toward me, with his lackeys behind him, looking as pleased at the current situation as Daidouji was.

I grinned. I would be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying Daidouji's annoyance. "You mean-- other than you?"

He pointed at me, his eyes narrowed. “You do not want to play this with me. Now, _who_ was here?"

"Nobody," I replied.

Daidouji clenched his teeth. "Then how did the door get destroyed?" 

"Bad carpentry?" I said, shrugging my shoulders.

Now, you're probably wondering _why_ I didn't sell the damn wolf out right there. First off, I realized that Saitoh was right. If I did tell Daidouji the wolf was here, he would press me for information. And considering my history with Daidouji, that wasn't something I really wanted to experience. But it was also the fact that I don't sell people out to others. It's an ethic that was bred into me along with my ninjitsu.

Naturally, my reply only steamed Daidouji further. Yanking at my hair, Daidouji picked me up and shook me like a rag doll. "Don't lie to me, you little shit! I know Captain Fujita was here, the broken door has his name all over it. _What_ did he tell you?" 

Trying not to scream in pain (and failing miserably), I replied, "I don't... know... what you're... talking about..."

With another growl, Daidouji threw me to the floor. "Boys!" he boomed. "Take those chains off of her!" My wrists were free within seconds, but that didn't matter because Daidouji was right on top of me. Literally. "Now, Misao-san," he said, trying to sound calm. His voice was trembling, so it ruined the effect. Pushing his hand through my short hair, he said, "Tell me what the lovely Captain said."

"I told you already, no one was here."

He lowered his mouth to my ear. "You're a terrible liar my dear. So tell me, did he tell you about my little present to your dear _Aoshi_?" Daidouji chortled. "I do hope he enjoyed it."

I flinched at the mention of the "gift," giving more away than I would have wanted to. I didn't expect Daidouji to miss it, and of course, I was right. He stood up straight, looking me in the eyes. The sadistic smile of his sent a cold chill down my spine.

"Yes," Daidouji lowered his voice as he spoke. "It would be a shame to have to send other body parts, wouldn't it? But I will if you don't start to talk."

"You're going to kill me anyhow," I retorted with a harsh glare. "You've been planning to kill me since Kobe."

Throwing his head back, he barked in laughter. "You are right, Misao-san. But you may have bought yourself a little time." He looked over his shoulder and nodded.

The thugs formed a group around me, the four of them grabbing an arm or a leg. One of them pulled my right arm, hard, and twisted it as far as it would go, so the elbow was almost facing up. The fifth man stood over the right arm, hovering a katana hilt above it. I squirmed under their hold, but it didn't do much. "What are you going to do?" I strained through clenched teeth.

"I never said that your remaining time alive would be painless." He raised an eyebrow. "Did I?"

And with that, the katana hilt was slammed into my elbow. I screamed in pain as the impact spread up my arm. The blow had my entire upper body throbbing. "Again," Daidouji demanded. The hilt fell again, and I heard a distinctive crack over the pounding in my ears. I knew something was broken. Clenching my teeth together, I strained to hold in any screams. It's what Daidouji wanted to hear. Although I did try to, I couldn't stop the tears forming in my eyes. No injury that I ever had would compare to what I was feeling at that moment. Nothing, that is, until Daidouji muttered, "Chain her back up."

I don't remember much after that. The pain blurred everything together. Daidouji said something to me, but I didn't hear it clearly. I was too focused on filtering out the pain. Chained back to the wall, all I could do was wait. And hope.

_Aoshi will come,_ I told myself. It was the only thought that kept me from completely breaking down. I believed in Aoshi.

I promised myself I would.


	25. Proof of Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I have not taken your vows of peace, Battousai, or have you forgotten?"

When I was little, I had a tendency to follow my _Aoshi-sama_ around. A lot. It was because of him that I was ever interested in becoming part of the Oniwabanshuu. I was very young when I first was introduced to him. I can’t ever remember a time without _him_. He couldn't have been more than thirteen. At first, I was completely frightened by the prospect of being in the same room with him, but then something changed my mind. I think it was his eyes that drew me in. Shining blue with honesty, and yet terrified of what was to come. Surely, they were already training him to take over the Oniwaban. Such a burden on such a small boy. When I was older, I realized how devastating it must have been for him to take the leadership of all of us at such a young age. But he took it in stride.

Jiya always says that when my father first introduced me to Aoshi, I was terrified. I remembered cowering behind my father's leg, screaming that I didn't want to meet the scary man. I hadn't even put up as much of a fuss when I first met Hannya-kun, I've been told. But then again, Hannya-kun was a constant in the Oniwabanshuu household, and I was only a baby when he held me for the first time. Or so I am told. Regardless, Aoshi frightened me. Which was a problem, Jiya says, since I was being placed in his care for the day. One of Aoshi's toughest assignments: babysitting me while the others went out for the evening. I kicked and I screamed, not wanting to leave my father's side. But what else could be expected? I was very much a daddy's girl. Finally, my father picked me up and placed me in Aoshi's arms. And then ( _Jiya always smiles at this part when he is telling the story_ ), I instantly stopped crying. I do not remember the crying at all, but I do remember being in those warm arms, feeling as if nothing could ever bring harm to me. 

After that, I insisted that Aoshi carry me whenever I saw him. Not only did I love the feeling, but I was in awe of it. As I grew older, I wanted to understand the power that he carried. But I was too terrified to ask Aoshi to teach me. So, one day, I finally managed to ask Hannya-kun to teach me kempo. He immediately fell over laughing. But after a large pout from me, he crumbled to my will and began my lessons. Perhaps, it was because my father and mother had recently passed, and he thought it might have been a good idea to do something constructive. Or maybe he just couldn't say no to my adorable pout.

Jiya objected, but kept quiet. Hannya-kun and my teaching lessons had been a secret until one day Aoshi caught us practicing just on the outskirts of the city. He was livid that Hannya-kun would do something like that without his permission, "Corrupting such a young child into our world," I remember him saying. As I watched them argue, I began to cry, telling Aoshi that I just wanted to become like him. The shocked look on his face will remain with me forever. He knelt down on one knee, and cradled his gigantic hand around my cheek. He told me, "You do not need to be as strong as me, Misao-chan. I will always protect you from any harm." I remember how special that made me feel. Aoshi, however, was quite troubled by the fact that I wanted to continue training, anyway. He hesitantly agreed, getting the others to help in my training. To them, it was a bit of a game, teaching me the arts of a shinobi. But I was serious. I never wanted Aoshi to be harmed. If he was going to protect me, then I was going to protect him.

But when he came back that day--

The day that Aoshi almost killed Jiya.

I remember how my hand shook as I touched the hot, sticky, blood on Jiya's body. I had promised myself that I would protect Aoshi, but I had failed. I couldn't protect him from himself.

The fear that flooded me as I looked into his eyes, eyes filled with such madness, still haunts me. The eyes that had once were filled with such concern for me were just... dead. The terror I had once felt because of this man had returned, triplefold; my fright was no longer a story Jiya told to embarrass me at the dinner table. Was that what I saw in his eyes that day when we first met?

  
I woke from my haze with a start. There was a hand on my shoulder. And someone was speaking to me. My eyesight was so blurred it took a few minutes to get my bearings.

"Misao-dono? Misao-dono!"

It was the _-dono_ that snapped my attention. There was only one person who used that honorific. "Himura?" I blinked a few times to try and clear my vision. It didn't help much. All I could recognize was the orange blur of Himura's hair.

"Thank goodness," he said. "Thank goodness. We had thought--"

My eyes widened as I realized what Himura being here meant. Aoshi was here too. And he thought...

"Where's Aoshi?" I demanded, struggling to push myself up. Standing was a very bad idea. Because of the way that my hands were chained, the broken arm was bent in a direction that only made the pain worse. I let out a loud scream, and fell back to the floor. The arm violently whacked against the chain, adding to the pain. I winced and cursed loudly.

Himura's calloused fingers lightly traced up the arm that was broken. I winced from the connection, but it hardly could make the pain any worse than it already was. "What did they do to you?"

"I..." I panted, trying to overcome the throbbing. "I wouldn't tell them... I wouldn't tell them..." I lowered my head and closed my eyes again. It was much easier to be in the darkness than to have to try and struggle with the fuzziness of reality.

"Misao-dono," Himura quietly murmered.

I heard the subtle sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath. My arms fell to my side. I was free. Finally. Tears welded up in my eyes as I tried not to cry. But whenever you _try_ not to cry, you always end of crying more. "Himura..." I sobbed, looking up at him.

Himura knelt down and wrapped his arms around me. " _Shhh..._ It's all right, Misao-dono. Everything is going to be all right now."

A jolt ran though my body as I remembered what Saitoh had said. Everyone thought I was dead. My head shot up. "Himura, is it true... that you all thought I was...?" I couldn't even bear to finish the sentence. I swallowed the sobs that were building up in my throat. Mustn’t make too much of a scene.

"There was nothing else that we could believe, Misao-dono. When your braid was delivered to the house..." He brought me into a hug again, cupping his hand around the back of my head. "But that doesn't matter now. You're alive and safe. And that's all that matters."

"No," I said. "Aoshi... I have to see Aoshi. He's going to fall right into Daidouji's trap." I pulled back from Himura. "Please you have to take me to him."

He nodded.

  
Walking through Daidouji's compound was more than just a little un-nerving. I was on the edge, constantly keeping an eye out for anyone who would try to attack us. With my arm out of commission, it was hard to do anything that could possibly be seen as helpful. Not to mention, I had to rely on Himura to get around. Since I had been locked up for so long without food really to speak of, my entire body was weak. When I had tried to stand, my legs shook furiously. Himura caught me, thank goodness, but that meant I was even more of a liability than I was before. 

Unsurprisingly, Himura had knocked most of the guards out on route to my cell. There were a few guards following us, five that I could tell, but if Himura wasn't giving them any attention, then I wasn't going to worry about them either. After all, he would be doing all the fighting in a confrontation.

"Himura?" I said, weakly.

"Yes, Misao-dono?" He looked over to me with a warm smile on his face. 

I attempted to return the smile. But I was sure it didn't look as comforting as his. "How did you find me?"

"By accident," he admitted, sheepishly. "When we arrived here, we split up. I was trying to find Daidouji when I sensed your presence. It was so weak..." he sighed, softly. "But it was there."

Pausing, I narrowed my eyes at the rurouni. "So... if you split up, that means you don't know where Aoshi is."

He laughed nervously. "I'm sure we'll find him. After all, it's only a matter of time before the guards following us will pounce on us and undoubtedly take us directly to where Daidouji is, and I'm sure Aoshi and Saitoh won't be far from him."

I _so_ wanted to punch Himura in the face. "So _that_ was your plan. And here all this time, I thought you were just being nice and ignoring them for their own good."

"Oh Misao-dono," he chuckled. "You give me too much credit."

"Apparently."

We both laughed as the guards circled around us, not really caring that they had ferocious looks on their faces.

But before any of them could open their mouths and demand that we surrender, they all fell to the ground, all five of them sliced completely through. Their upper bodies had been separated from the lower parts. Blood sprayed everywhere as a heavy stench of copper and bowel filled the air. I looked at Himura in dead shock. When did he...?

Himura, however, was not looking at me. His eyes were locked on the figure before us. I turned my head to face this newcomer and my eyes grew wide.

There was a shadow looming over us with two bloodstained kodachi drawn. His eyes were narrowed in hate, and a look of pure bloodlust on his face. My throat grew dry. I had to force his name out of my mouth. " _Aoshi_."

The sound of my voice must've thrown him off guard. His head snapped towards Himura and I, his eyes wide. "Misao..." he whispered. My name left his mouth as if he muttered a holy word. Terrified, yet filled with an indescribable joy. But I couldn't take it to heart. His entire appearance shook my being so much that it barely registered with me that he had said my name. His face was splattered with blood, and his uniform had grown dark. Although his eyes were wide with shock, I could tell that all of the life that had been there vacated once more. His paled skin and the dark circles under his eyes made him look like a lifeless, bloodied, corpse.

Tears filled my eyes, but not of happiness. They were in pity for the poor creature standing before me. This was the Aoshi who haunted my dreams.

Aoshi staggered forward, the blades in his hand lowering. He looked so lost. One of his kodachi clattered against he floor, as he reached out for me. Once again, and more harshly, he whispered, "Misao." Before I knew it, Aoshi had fallen to his knees and wrapped his arms around me. I flinched at his touch, and not just because of my broken arm. Maybe Aoshi noticed my anxiety, because he then let go of me, looking me directly in the eye. He looked betrayed. "You are... alive," he said, straightening himself out. "I am glad."

"Aoshi, I-"

"Daidouji is this way," Aoshi said abruptly. "We must follow him. Saitoh is already on his trail." He turned his back toward us and started walking away. 

"There was no need to kill them!" Himura shouted.

"I have not taken your vows of peace, Battousai or have you forgotten? You knew what you were walking into when you came here."

"I did not agree to a campaign of death!" Himura retorted. "This is what Saitoh wanted, Aoshi! Don't play into his hands."

Aoshi turned back and glared. "I am no one's pawn. I am doing this to protect..." he looked at me and then looked away.

I fell to my knees, the hot blood on the floor pooling around my skin. I brought my hands up to where I could see them, covered in the blood from when Aoshi hugged me. My clothes were also stained. I began to feel sick. It had been the first time I had seen such a horrible act, and the smell of bowel from the sliced open intestines could only be taken for so long. I fell forward, my good arm being the only thing keeping me from colliding with what was left of the corpse in front of me. Unable to keep it in any longer, I threw up right on to one of the bodies. If I could have, I would have laughed at the sight of me being so pathetic. But what else could I have done? I had tried and failed to prevent Aoshi from becoming the unstoppable demon that he used to be. And no matter all the assurances that I gave him, or myself, seeing him like that once more had shaken my entire being to the core. I realized that every reassurance that I told him, and myself, that his past didn't bother me and that I had forgiven him of everything, had all been comforting lies. 

Himura came up from behind me, patting me gently on the back. "Aoshi, wait! Misao-"

"We have no time for delay," Aoshi replied, continuing to walk away. "If she cannot stomach this sight, then perhaps she should not follow anyway."

"Aoshi! Her arm is broken," Himura explained. "We can't just leave Misao-dono here! She won't be able to protect herself." 

There was a pregnant pause between the two of them. "Then she will be your responsibility, since you do not wish to help with this endeavor anyhow."

The harshness of his voice was scaring me, it really was. I froze in recovering from throwing up, and stared into the space before me as I took this all in. I should have been standing up and yelling at Aoshi, or telling Himura that I was perfectly capable of protecting myself. _Something._ But I could manage was sit on the floor and shake. Finally, I gathered the strength to speak, "Aoshi... you..." I closed my eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Save your apologies for later," he whispered loudly as he began to walk away. "Now is not the time."

"Aoshi!" Himura called. 

As he disappeared into the next hallway, I looked up to Himura, tears still streaming down my face. "How long has he been like this?"

Himura shook his head, "He was not like this when we separated earlier. Something must have triggered him." He knelt his head in respect for the fallen men. Sure they were bad guys, but in Himura's mind, that didn't mean they deserved to die. I could sense that he had more problems with Aoshi's rash act then he was letting on to. Turning his attention towards me, he took my good arm and helped me stand. "Please don't cry, Misao-dono." He ran his hand through my hair. "If this silly rurouni can overcome the monsters in him, so can Aoshi."

"But Himura, this is totally--"

He shook his head, "There's no difference between his grief and mine. Aoshi is just taking a different path than I chose. When I thought Kaoru-dono had died..."

"But he _knows_ that I'm alive now, Himura! And he still is so..." I added a whispered, "Scary."

Watching me carefully for a few moments, Himura tilted his head. "And now that you have seen the shadows within, can you honestly say that you still care about him?" I nodded. Himura smiled, "Then you will be the only one of us who can stop the darkness from completely consuming him."

"But I don't know if I can... I mean, I love Aoshi no matter what. But-- I'm so confused."

"Just walk forward. It's all you can do for now."

I looked to the hallway where Aoshi had head. 

In just a few steps, we would be face to face with Daidouji. 

In just a few steps, I would have to make a choice.

In just a few steps, all of our lives would change.


	26. The Best Laid Plans of Wolves and Men

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It's amazing that you thought that plan would actually work."

After making love for the last time at Himura's house, I found myself staring at Aoshi. With the moonlight crashing down on his face, I smiled as I nudged my head against Aoshi’s naked chest. I was laying on top of him, both of our bodies still wet with sweat. "Promise me you'll be careful," I said.

"I am always careful," he replied, gently petting my head in a loving manner.

I pushed myself away from his chest, and looked him in the eye. "Promise me," I said firmly. I probably pouted too, but I didn't care. I wanted him to say it, and would use any means to make sure he would.

"What about you?" he retorted. "Will you promise me you will be careful in my absence, Misao?"

"I'm not going to be putting myself in danger, Aoshi," I said, defensively. "I'm just going to stay here and pine away for you like a dutiful wife."

Aoshi raised an eyebrow. "I hardly doubt you could pine, even if you tried extremely hard."

I laughed as I traced my fingers over his mouth. "Maybe you're right. How about I chase after your ass if you're two seconds late?"

A laugh rumbled throughout his frame, bringing a small laugh to his face-- and I relished in it. "You could at least give me a benefit of the doubt and wait a few minutes."

"We'll see," I replied, leaning down and giving him a light kiss on the lips. "So promise me."

"If you will promise me," he retorted.

"I promise," I grumpily replied. Then I playfully hit him on the chest. "Now you!"

Reaching out, he cupped his hand around my check and brought me in for a much deeper kiss. "I promise," he replied as he pulled away.

  
The echo in the hallway was impossibly loud. It was as if the sound of my heartbeat was multiplied a hundred times. I looked over to Himura. I was sure he heard it. Or at least felt it. Why was I thinking back to that right now? How long had I been distracted? I took a few deep breaths to try to calm myself down. It didn't help. Himura then gently nudged me reassuringly. I risked a look at him and tried to smile to tell him I was all right. I don't think it worked. "Come on, Misao-dono," he said softly.

I nodded. The doorway in front of us towered over me. My hand shaking, I reached out and slid the door open. About twenty guards met us, with pistols drawn. I looked at Himura and muttered, "I guess they knew we were coming."

Aoshi was nowhere to be seen. Either he was already captured, or he somehow managed to outwit Daidouji's men-- meaning that they had this last chance to capture us. Since none of the men were limping, my guess was that Aoshi had quietly given them the slip. In the state of being we had just seen him in, I knew that he would have not been captured quietly. Which left Himura and myself ample bait for whatever trap Aoshi had avoided. I screamed inwardly ( _because I didn't really have the energy to do it outwardly_ ). As annoying and painful as it was, I was going to be completely useless to Himura in fighting these guys. And with them having pistols, I was pretty sure Himura would be pretty useless too. 

Until I felt his grip on my shoulder tighten. 

"Hold on Misao-dono--" he whispered into my ear. Before I could voice an objection, or before the lackeys could even blink, Himura picked me up one handed around the stomach. He then rushed towards the men with guns. I knew Himura was fast, but going straight into a group of twenty or so men, who were _armed_ , was just plain suicide. But this _was_ the Hikokiri Battousai, I had to remind myself. Himura managed to collide with two men, knocking them clear off their feet into the wall. The others stared, flabbergasted by Himura's gull no doubt. Finally, one of them shouted, "Don't just stand there! _Shoot!_ "

They aimed their guns and began to fire. Narrowing his eyes, Himura tightened his grip around me and managed to increase his speed. My arm throbbed as Himura glided up the right wall, with me clinging for dear life to him with my one good hand. Shots were fired all around us. I could hear them ricochet, some going through the wood panel walls ahead and behind us. Before I knew it, Himura pushed my head down and launched shoulder first into the next room. I felt wood splinters from the broken shoji screen scrape against my leg as we fell forward. It stung, but I knew it was nothing serious. Himura pulled me in tight as he prepared to tumble toll to break our fall. The room spun around a few times before Himura brought his feet to the ground. And then he ran. We had to have raced through at least two or three long hallways before stopping in a dark and a dead end.

"Hey, Himura-"

" _Shhh!_ " he warned, putting a finger to his mouth.

The room was empty, save for us and the one other person was standing a few feet away. It was Aoshi. His shining kodachi were the only beacon to where he was. "Aoshi," I called out. My voice cracked and still sounded pathetic. I wriggled in Himura's grip. He, thankfully, put both my feet on the floor.

"Quiet," Aoshi said. I wanted to scream at him for leaving us as bait but thought better of it, since Aoshi's blades were still brazen. Who would stop him from possibly hurting me? Himura had cooled him down once, but I wasn't going to risk that working a second time. But we had to keep moving, or the gun bearing lackeys behind us were going to catch up. Aoshi eyed me for a second, and then walked towards us. He stabbed the shoji panel behind us. If I hadn't heard the slump of weight against the panel, I would have thought that Aoshi had completely lost it. But within a few seconds, the rice paper door turned a deep red color. Aoshi withdrew his kodachi, a streak of blood dripping down the blade.

Himura left my side to examine the blood seeping through the door. He slid open the hidden door, and a man tumbled onto the floor.

"There are more of them." Aoshi picked the injured man off the floor and calmly asked, "Where are they?" The man just laughed until he started to cough. It sounded like he was coughing up blood as his coughing turned into violent fits. And then silence. I heard what sounded like a pin fall to the ground. Aoshi put the man down and picked up what fell. "He has killed himself." "Was it..." I swallowed hard, "Daidouji?" It was too dark to make out faces real well.

"Doubtful," Aoshi replied as he shook the blood off of the blade. "A man so twisted by vengeance would not resort to killing himself when he is so close to achieving what he wants."

Instantly light filled the room from behind us. "And you would know all about that, wouldn't you, Shinomori?" a voice said from behind us. I squinted as I waited for my eyes to adjust. Standing in the shattered pieces of the shoji door Himura and I left behind, stood Daidouji. The light pouring around him and his pale blue suit made him seem otherworldly-- like a devil surveying his pray. "Welcome guests!" he said with open arms as the men from the other room began to line up behind him, to stop us from leaving the dead end. "Your entrance was even grander than I had expected. Well done." A smile grew on his lips as he looked to me. "Although I was hoping my little surprise for you would have been finished, Shinomori. But, ah well." He began walking towards me. Suddenly I wished that Himura hadn't put me down. I raised my guard as much as I could. I might have well tried to fight him off with a dead fish. Actually, the dead fish might have actually achieved something. "Right, Misao-san?"

Aoshi and Himura both took a step towards me, but it was too late. I was already within Daidouji's grasp. He gently took my broken arm in his hand, and gingerly touched the black bruise, right where the bone was slightly sticking out of my skin. "Does it still hurt, my little Misao-san?" I sucked my teeth as he pushed on the bruise. Just the slightest touch shot pain through my entire body. Daidouji looked over to Aoshi as he brought my hand up to his lips. "She really is such a gentle girl, Shinomori. I wouldn't let her out of my sight anymore, if I were you. What if something terrible-"

Daidouji didn't actually finish whatever he was going to say. There was a clattering on the floor. In my peripheral vision, I saw something shiny slide across the floor. Aoshi had come from behind the Daidouji and the hand that he had been touching me with was now held in an arm lock behind his back.

Aoshi leaned towards Daidouji's ear and said softly, "I do not know what you were trying to achieve with hurting Misao the way that you have. However, do not think that I have taken it lightly." And with that, Aoshi pivoted on his right foot and kicked Daidouji to the other side of the room. Daidouji crashed through the wall, revealing another henchman, and something else-- a Gatling gun.

I turned to Himura and asked, "Is there a Gatling gun-"

Himura was two steps ahead. "There is!" he said as he revealed there was a Gatling gun in the hidden chamber where the corpse had been hiding. I quickly turned around, trying to find other places where there could have been other "surprises."

Daidouji laughed as he stood up. Wiping a trickle of blood that was leaking from the side of his mouth, he said, "It seems you have caught on. And now you're probably asking yourselves whether there are more Gatling guns in the room? Who knows? But I can tell you that getting shot by one is very painful." His wicked grin grew wider. "Isn't that right, Shinomori?"

"It's amazing that you thought that plan would actually work." Everyone turned towards the new voice, well aware of who it was.

"Saitoh!" I exclaimed. "When did you-?"

Daidouji's grin only grew wider. "So all the players have gathered together? That makes everything so much easier for me."

"I'm glad you think so," Saitoh replied, crossing his arms against his chest. "I really didn't think that you would make the same mistake Takeda Kanryuu did by putting all your faith in a silly machine."

Daidouji shrugged. "I am not a warrior. Like Kanryuu, I am an entrepreneur. It is not as if I could engage myself in a death match with any of you." Then, with a chuckle he added, "Well, perhaps Misao-san here." I growled. 

"But do you really think a Gatling gun is going to be able to defeat all of us?"

"Oh, of course not Captain Fujita." Daidouji paused. With a wicked grin, he offered, "But two may."

Saitoh smiled. "Two. Ten. It doesn't matter. Today will still be the day that you will be put out of business permanently." As Saitoh said that, a faint explosion could be heard. "You hear that? That's the end of your storehouse. You're ruined once again, Daidouji. If you give yourself up now, you may just leave this compound alive. I doubt those Gatling guns will be able to guarantee that. Unless, of course, you planned to go down with us."

"Tch," Daidouji flinched. "I could still be out of here before you are filled with holes."

"And run into the hands of the police?" Saitoh replied, amused. "You've already been charged for the murder of Makimachi Misao. We have your note and her lock of hair to prove it. I wonder what my men would do if you were to kill me as well?"

Himura took a step forward. "Come, Daidouji. This has gone on long enough. Give up and there will be no need for further blood shed."

"You took everything away from me, the lot of you!" Daidouji said, slowly walking backwards, towards the opening Saitoh was standing in front of. "Why should I give up when, like Shinomori said, I am so close to obtaining what I want?"

"And what do you want?" Aoshi asked, coldly. "Revenge? You have extracted more than enough from us that would make up for your loss. If this was truly about the death of Takeda Kanryuu, then you would have killed Misao when you had the chance."

Saitoh took a step towards Daidouji. "Or perhaps he just didn't have it in his heart to commit cold blooded murder himself. As you said, you are an entrepreneur. Tell me, Daidouji-- were you going to ask one of your lackeys to kill us? Because that hardly would be called _revenge_. It's plain cowardice."

"Shut up!" Daidouji screamed. He drew a small revolved out and pointed it towards me. "I'll kill her right here and now! Then who would be a coward, huh Captain?"

"Misao-dono!" Himura took a step forward.

Aoshi stood there, looking anxious, but silent and unmoving.

With a wave of his hand, Saitoh chuckled. "Don't worry, Battousai. He doesn't have the balls to do it."

Daidouji moved the gun barrel to aim towards Saitoh instead. "Don't I?" he asked.

Amused, Saitoh raised an eyebrow. "Please do not insult me by pointing that thing at me." But Daidouji's arm, although shaking, didn't move. From the glare that Saitoh was giving him, I was surprised Daidouji didn't turn tail and run. I know I would've.

With a sigh, Saitoh closed his eyes. "Fine." I managed to see a flash of his sword before Saitoh had run the bastard through with one of his _Gatotsu_ moves.

Daidouji fell to the ground spewing blood as Saitoh withdrew his sword. Slowly a pool of blood began to form around his chest.

I looked to Aoshi, trying to understand what this meant for him. After all of that, it hadn't even been Aoshi to deal the final blow. But it was impossible for me to tell if he was upset or not. In a way, I was glad it happened this way. After seeing what I had seen, killing Daidouji may have sent Aoshi over the deep end, back into the chaos that I was so afraid of-- that is, if he wasn't already. But I also knew Aoshi's honor was at stake. And since Saitoh Hajime was never an honorable man, I highly doubted if he cared about how Aoshi's redemption has just been taken away. The job was done and the threat was taken care of. That was all that mattered.

"Saitoh-!" Himura took a step forward. "You-"

"Don't start with your life-values, Battousai. Daidouji's faction has killed many, and would continue to do so with the distribution of his weaponry. I was mealy doing my duty to protect."

Whatever he was going to say Himura kept quiet. But his eyes looked furious. He knew, as much as the rest of us, that Saitoh was right. 

But that was not the last for Daidouji. Struggling to even sit up, he managed to mutter, "Not... yet..."

Simultaneously, I heard three clicks echo around the room. The Gatling guns! Before I could say anything, Aoshi picked me up in his arms. "It is time for us to depart," he managed to say just before the thundering boom of bullets came towards us in three directions. In a blink, we were running through back the halls Himura and I had rushed through with our "grand entrance." The men who were Daidouji's back up cowered at the flying bullets, covering their heads and getting low to the ground. Some back up they were. I bet they figured Daidouji wouldn't have fired on his own men. I wasn't surprised that he had.

Saitoh led us through the rapid fire, followed by Himura and Aoshi ( _with me still in his arms_ ). The three men zigzagged through the rooms as if they could see the bullets flying at us through the backs of their heads. We were almost to the room where Himura and I had destroyed the doors. Over the bullets, I heard Daidouji scream, " _No!_ "

Reeling in the fact that I was finally going to leave this horrible compound, I rested my head on Aoshi's massive chest. I couldn't help but smile. Daidouji was as good as dead, and this place, I was sure, the Tokyo police would burn to the ground. A wave of relief washed over me as I realized that this whole ordeal was almost over.

A shot rang in my ears. Before my eyes I saw a gush of blood spray from Aoshi's left shoulder. His whole body convulsed as I realized what had happened. Aoshi struggled to keep pace with Himura and Saitoh. I looked back at Daidouji to see him lying on the floor, dead, with his gun aimed at us.

Aoshi had been shot.


	27. Follow Through

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Do you hate me now, Misao?"

Daidouji's compound had been destroyed almost outright. There were a few surviving members of his followers, but for the most part, they had been killed by either Saitoh or Aoshi before the explosions had gotten out of hand. The Tokyo police didn't realize that Daidouji housed more than just guns. As I already knew, there were fireworks, ammunition, and God knows what other highly explosive items stored there. But then again, knowing Saitoh, perhaps they _did_ know. Most of the bodies, including that of Daidouji, were completely destroyed, leaving little evidence as to what had gone on in the compound. And what evidence was left, _Captain Fujita_ made sure nothing came of it.

As for me, I had passed out on the way out of the flaming inferno. When I woke up, I could hardly move. My eyes felt as if they were sealed shut. I let out a moan as I tried to wriggle from my deep sleep.

"So you've finally woken up," I heard Megumi-san say. I felt like I had been through hell and back, which was true really. But I hadn't felt this weak inside Daidouji's compound. "Don't even try to get up," she said, flicking my forehead. "It's a miracle you can still move at all from what Ken-san said you had been through. Your right elbow was broken, you're malnourished, and when I arrived you were so covered with burns and blood, I had no idea where to begin."

"And Aoshi?" I asked as I opened my eyes. Slowly things came back into focus. I was back in the guestroom at the Himura residence.

"Didn't I tell you to worry about yourself first, little girl? Do you have any idea what that man went through when your braid was sent here?"

My eyes widened in panic. Why wouldn't she give me a straight answer? "Where is he, Megumi-san?!" My voice was frantic, but so was I. There was no use in hiding it. I thought my heart would explode when she didn't answer me. Instead she just stared me in the eyes. I remembered hearing Daidouji's shot being fired, and the blood spraying from Aoshi's body. _Oh God,_ I thought, _he couldn't be--_

Then, with a sigh, Megumi nodded towards the corner of the room nearest to the door. There, with his head leaning against the wall, was Aoshi sleeping. His left arm was in a sling, and his face had a few scratches, but otherwise looked fine. "That idiot man refused to go lay down and rest until you regained consciousness." I tried to push myself up to go see him, but Megumi-san's hand on my chest stopped me from going anywhere. "You stay here," she said firmly. Grumbling to herself, Megumi-san walked over to Aoshi, her stocking feet pounding hard on the tatami mat. She leaned over Aoshi and whispered loudly. "Wake up. Misao's conscious."

Aoshi's eyes shot open, looking directly at me. I couldn't help but blush in embarrassment. After he had hardly spoken to me at Daidouji's compound, after all that had happened... how could his intense stare still move me so much?

After a few heavy moments of silence, Megumi-san stood up straight. "Well," she said with a smirk. "I think I'll leave you two alone." She looked over to Aoshi. "Just don't do anything that requires sudden movement."

Enraged, I glared at the fox lady. "Just because we're alone together, doesn't mean we're going to have sex!" I exclaimed.

Megumi-san raised an eyebrow as she turned towards me. "I was referring to him trying to hug you," she replied. "Not all displays of affection deal with sexual relations, little girl."

My blush deepened. "Oh."

As Megumi-san shut the door, Aoshi's eyes fluttered shut. The room filled with silence for a few seconds. Aoshi then quietly asked, "How is your arm?"

Right. My arm. I tried lifting my hand only to realize that it was completely stiff. Megumi-san must have put it in a cast while I was unconscious. "Solid," I replied as I let it fall back to the floor. I winced as it connected. "How about your shoulder?"

"I have had worse," he replied. "Although I will admit that it was quite difficult to carry you with only one arm properly functioning."

Before I could stop myself I laughed. It was completely inappropriate, but I didn't care. I'd always said that Aoshi could lift me with one hand-- apparently, it was true.

"May I ask what is so hilarious?" he asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

Shaking my head, I replied, "It wouldn't make sense even if I told you." It was just good to know that after all that happened, I could still laugh. For a while there, I wasn't even sure I would even see Aoshi alive again.

We fell back into silence. I closed my eyes, but I could hear his soft breathing, in and out. In and out. It calmed me. We had survived. It was over. Finally.

"Do you hate me now, Misao?"

_That_ got my attention. I opened my eyes and stared at him. "Do you want me to?"

"That is not what I said."

Taking a deep breath in, I replied, "I just can't believe you would ask me that."

He narrowed his eyes. "You could not bear the sight of me inside Daidouji's compound. I thought I had lost you forever, and yet you flinched at my touch."

We weren't talking about this. Not right when I had woken up from a weeklong hell. "Could you blame me?" I replied all too quickly. 

"I suppose not," he said softly.

"Look, Aoshi, I'm sorry-- I didn't mean it like that. Seeing you like that-- well, it frightened me." I sighed closing my eyes.

"I warned you."

"I know. _I know_. You warned me, Jiya warned me, even Saitoh warned me. That doesn't mean I actually expected to ever have to see you like that..." I wanted to add "again" but thought better of it. The last thing I needed right now was to drag up things that I thought I was completely okay with. I might as well just stabbed Aoshi in the heart with a real dagger to save us both from the anguish that would come about if I brought up what happened all those years ago.

Another beat of silence. I could hear my heartbeat pounding against my chest. "And now that you have?" he asked.

"I don't know."

"I see."

I heard the rustle of the fabric from his clothes and the sliding of the shoji door. I opened my eyes to see that he was gone. "No wait- Aoshi!" Slowly, I pushed myself up, ignoring the protests of my body. No, he couldn't leave. If Aoshi left, I wasn't sure if he would ever come back to me again. I might've not been able to handle the reality of who he was at the moment, but I didn't want him gone forever, either. My feet dragging, I finally reached the door. Looking out of out the hallway, I saw Aoshi retreating down the hall. "Aoshi!" I called out. "Wait, Aoshi!"

His figure froze for a moment, and then looked over his shoulder. At seeing me following him, Aoshi's eyes grew wide. "Misao!"

"Wait, Aoshi!" Tears began to stream down my eyes. I wasn't sure if it was from the pain of my body, or the pain in my heart. "Please!" My legs faltered from under me, and I felt myself begin to fall forward. But Aoshi caught me with his right arm, holding me as if I would break if he held on too tight. Kneeling down on the floor, Aoshi carefully helped me get my bearings. "Oh Aoshi!" I let myself collapse against his chest. "Don't leave me. Don't ever leave me again!"

He cradled the back of my head with his free hand, pulling me in closer. "You should rest, Misao."

I shook my head. "I'm so sorry, Aoshi. I wasn't strong enough. So sorry-" My chant of apologies continued on as I buried my face into his chest. We stayed just like that for a while. Aoshi knelt his face down so he could whisper into my ear. Whatever he was saying to try and calm me down was lost in the sound of my sobs.

"I thought I told you two to rest?"

I quickly pulled away from Aoshi to see Megumi-san carrying a tray with some food, which I assumed was for us. She sniffed indignantly and added, "The least you could do would be to express your endearments to one another in your room, so the rest of us don't have to suffer through it."

My face flushed deeply as Aoshi stood up behind me. He looked down and asked, "Can you make it back to the room walking?"

Nodding shallowly, I replied, "I think so."

"Here," Megumi-san said, handing the food tray to Aoshi. "Since she's awake enough to go running through the house, she can get some food into her. Who knows when the last time she ate was."

"You have my gratitude," Aoshi replied with a small bow. There was something between the two of them that still did not sit well with me, but it was hardly the time to start getting jealous. Megumi-san was right. It had been days since I had last eaten and food sounded absolutely lovely at that moment.

But despite what I told Aoshi, standing was still giving me some difficulty. I let Aoshi take the lead, and grabbed a fistful of his yukata with my left hand, being very careful not to actually touch his body or pull too hard on the fabric. He faltered in his step for a moment, but then lead the both of us back to our room. I sat down by my bedding, followed by Aoshi, who sat across from me. He placed the food tray between us. Megumi-san had given us rice porridge to eat. Spectacular. How was I supposed to recover eating this crap? But it was food, so I didn't outwardly complain.

When I tried to reach for the bowl, I had forgotten about my cast. I almost knocked over both bowls swinging my arm. Aoshi managed to catch my arm and place it back by my side. There was a smile threatening to burst from his lips. "Would you like me to feed you?" he asked.

It would be a lie if I said I didn't _want_ him to. But I still had an incredible sense of uncertainty about everything that had happened. I smiled as best as I could. "No, that's okay, Aoshi," I said as I reached out for the bowl with my left hand. Thankfully, because of my kunai training, my left hand was almost as strong as my right. I brought the bowl to my lips and took a sip of the porridge just to demonstrate how capable I was to eat on my own. Nodding, Aoshi took his own bowl and sipped the porridge. 

Now a real smile came to my face as we sat there, drinking breakfast. For a brief moment it was just the two of us. Sitting there, it was like we were a normal couple. And for that, I was grateful.

When I was finished eating, I managed to lie down again. Aoshi simply sat by me, watching.

"You should get some rest too, Aoshi. I'm sure you need it," I said.

"I will once you have fallen asleep."

Pouting, I looked up at him. "No, you won't. You'll just stay up and watch me despite the fact that you just got _shot_ in the shoulder."

He closed his eyes. "There are few things that I can do to revel in the fact that you are alive, Misao. At least allow me this pleasure."

A blush rose to my face. Was this the same man that I saw covered in blood in Daidouji's compound?

But this was an argument I knew I was not going to win. With a loud sigh, I wrapped myself as best as I could with my blanket. Aoshi watched me struggle with a strange look on his face. He reached out to help, but then hesitated. I almost wish he had touched me then, just as passionately as he had before my kidnapping. At least then this uncertainty inside of me would finally resolve itself. I still loved Aoshi. I truly did. But it was painfully clear that we could never go back to what we once had. What would become of the pieces of our shattered relationship was unknown. The fact that Aoshi hesitated in helping me with my blanket, and refused to sleep by me, was an indicator that there might have been nothing left of the relationship to save.

I fell into an uneasy sleep. I was aware of every movement in the room, even with my eyes shut. Aoshi was asleep now. I could hear him breathing deeply. With a long sigh, I opened my eyes. It was mid-afternoon now. Of course, he had fallen asleep sitting up. Taking my blanket in hand, I stood up and wrapped Aoshi tightly in my blanket, careful not to wake him. Although I did see his hand tighten around the blanket. With a smile I kissed his forehead gently. There was no terror, no resurfacing fear. I was simply kissing the man I loved.

It was a start.

  
I'd love to say that when I woke up, all was forgiven. Aoshi and I reconciled our entire relationship without any difficulties whatsoever. But what a horrific lie that would have been! I had told Aoshi that I didn't care about his frightening past, and I convinced myself that I didn't. But when Aoshi needed me most, I couldn't do anything for him, because I was too frightened. Memories of a bloodied Jiya haunted me. I thought I had put all of that behind me. Aoshi had come home. We had forgiven him. So why did it still bug me several years later?

At least Aoshi didn't outright reject me the next morning, which is what I feared he would.

In fact, as the days passed during our recuperation, I could sense that he was becoming rather uncertain around me. But I was the same way. There would be times when I would just stare at him, willing him to just touch my cheek with those strong fingers. And then there were times when I could not even be in the same room as him.

It took over a week for me to recover from the bodily damage done at Daidouji's, save for my elbow. That would be in a cast for several weeks. Megumi-san said that it would be a miracle if I would be able to properly use it again. Aoshi, as always, had a fast recovery. When Megumi-san had pronounced me fit for traveling after two weeks of being cooped up in Himura's house, I could tell Aoshi was already anxious to get home. He stayed away from me as much as possible, while still keeping an eye on my condition. Although that sounds impossible, this was Aoshi- he likes not to be seen whenever possible. He just thought that I couldn't sense his presence. Either that, or he didn't care if I did. But the way he sometimes looked at me, like a kicked puppy, I was beginning to think that he didn't realize how obvious his observations were.

On the night before we were to set to go back to Kyoto, Aoshi came into the room with a look on his face that I really couldn't pinpoint. "We need to talk, Misao."

I was ready for bed, comfortably wrapped up in my blanket. I slowly sat up and looked Aoshi in the eye. "O-okay." This was new. Since when did Aoshi start a conversation? He sat down to the left of me. And stared. We sat there for quite sometime in absolute silence. I cleared my throat and asked, "You wanted to talk about something, right Aoshi?"

"I will not hold it against you if you no longer wish to be married, Misao."

"What?" I asked breathlessly. "Why would you even think-"

"I have been observing you for the last two weeks, Misao. It is clear that you cannot find it in yourself to try and accept what you have seen. You have been struggling with yourself on whether to accept me or not. Do you deny it?"

"It's true that I haven't sorted out my feelings on what happened. But that doesn't mean I love you any less that I did. I just need time, Aoshi."

"How much time?"

"How long did it take for you to recover from chaos?" I retorted. "I waited for you for so long. So long. I don't think it's fair of you to be pushing me like this."

He sighed. "You are right. I just do not take pleasure in watching you suffer so much because of me. It is driving me," he paused for a moment. "Driving me mad knowing it is me doing this to you."

"It's not just you though, Aoshi. _I_ couldn't help you when I wanted. _I_ couldn't be there when you reached out for me because of my delusions that everything was okay." I sighed. "Although, It might be easier if you'd shown a little remorse about all of this," I added before I could stop myself. It was true that Aoshi had shown little regret about what happened.

He got up to leave. "I will not feel regretful for seeking out revenge for your death. At that moment, all I knew was that you had been killed. And it was my fault for involving you in the first place. I am a warrior, Misao. There was a time when death was all I knew. I have come to enlightenment about other things in life, but death is still a part of me. And if you cannot even accept that, then there can be nothing between us."

I slammed my left hand down hard on the tatami. "Damnit, I'm a warrior too! Sit back down. We're not finished!" Aoshi made no sign of sitting down. "I was terrified, Aoshi. Not just of you-- of everything. I didn't think I was going to leave that place alive. I thought I'd never see you again! And when I did-- _when I did_ \--" Tears started flowing from my eyes uncontrollably. "Don't you see? I thought I lost you again..." I managed to whisper before breaking into sobs.

His strong arms wrapped around me as he gently brought my head against his chest. That was when I lost all control. I felt so pathetic and useless. But his warm embrace was so calming, so comforting. He cupped his hand around my head. He said nothing, but just held me. Strong as he pretended to be, his trembling hands gave him away. Aoshi was just as scared as I was.

I exhausted myself from crying and fell asleep in his arms without realizing it. And for the first night in many weeks, I slept soundly.


	28. Long Long Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Somehow, I think I'm coming out on top here."

As the train pulled into the station, I tightened my extra coat around me to protect me from the bitter wind. It might have been late October, but it felt like December. I let out a deep breath and watched it become fog in the air. It definitely was going to be an early winter.

The train came to a full stop. I took a few steps closer to the train, anxiously awaiting the new arrivals. It was the orange hair that caught my attention. "Himura! Kaoru-san!" I called, jumping up so they could see me in the building crowd.

Kaoru-san smiled at me and waved. Another cold blast rushed through the station. I quickly wrapped both arms around my body in an effort to keep my body heat trapped. It didn't work.

"Hello, Misao-dono!" Himura smiled at me as his group reached where I was standing. "I trust you have been well these past few months?"

I nodded my head as Kaoru-san, carrying Kenji-kun, came through the crowd. " _Sao-neechan!_ " he exclaimed. Wriggling in his mother's grip, Kaoru-san put the boy down. He quickly raced to hug my legs.

His tackle threw my balance off for a second, but I was laughing anyway. "And how have you been, Kenji-kun?"

He raised both his arms up and started waving them in the air. "Up! Up!" he commanded.

My smile faltered. "I'm sorry, Kenji-kun. I can't pick you up."

"Why not?" he demanded.

With a nervous laugh, Kaoru-san bent over and picked the boy up. "Misao-neechan hurt her arm the last time she visited us, remember darling?"

"She did?" the toddler asked. I wasn't very surprised he didn't remember. After we returned from Daidouji's, Kaoru-san had kept Kenji-kun away from Aoshi and myself as much as possible. She said it was because she wanted us to be able to rest peacefully, but I knew it was because she didn't want him to see us looking the way that we were. Kaoru-san wanted to protect Kenji-kun from the reality of what we warriors actually were for as long as possible. I didn't really agree, but then again, I wasn't his mother. Kenji-kun lowered his voice to a whisper and asked, "Was it when you were beating up Yahi-nii?"

I smiled at that. "Yeah, it sure was!" I replied with a triumphant grin. "But then I beat the pants off that brat!"

"You shouldn't tell such obvious lies, Weasel girl," Yahiko replied as he approached the group with several bags in his hands. I bit back a laugh. It looked as if Kaoru-san had dumped the party's luggage for him to carry. "You know very well that I could wipe the floor with you."

My eyebrow twitched. "Oh yeah? I'll beat you with just my left arm!" I said taking a defensive stance.

"Now, now," Himura grabbed us both by the shoulders. "We don't want to make any trouble. After all, Misao-dono, you don't want to have any visible bruises, do you?"

"Can't I hit him just a little bit?" I whined. Yahiko stuck his tongue out at me while Himura laughed. I would give that brat his comeuppance before he went back to Tokyo.

Megumi-san was next to appear, looking as perfect as ever. With an impatient flick of her hair, she said, "Can we get out of this cold before we freeze to death?"

I gritted my teeth, but swallowed whatever angry rant that was threatening to come out. With a fake laugh, I replied, "Of course-- this way everybody!"

And even though I couldn't hold Kenji-kun, he still insisted that I at least held his hand as we walked through the streets of Kyoto, which I happily did. Megumi-san, clever fox that she was, managed to catch up with our lead and very quietly observed, "You still don't have full strength of your right arm, hmm?"

I laughed nervously. "No, but I have been working on it. Jiya and I train everyday with a focus on getting my arm working as it was, while strengthening my left." With a laugh, I added, "Saitoh gave me a few exercises for that too."

Megumi-san stared wide-eyed. "Is _that man_ staying at your house too? Because Ken-san and-"

"No, no." I shook my head. "Mibu's wolf is long gone. He left shortly after we came back to Kyoto. But he did come to the Aoi-ya to fill us in about the final details surrounding what happened in Tokyo. While he was here, he noticed that my arm was still injured."

"Surprising that he would do something like that," Megumi-san replied.

I laughed nervously. Saitoh dispensed his left-arm wisdom in a very painful way. It was several hours of having to listen to him taunt me about Aoshi and how stupid I was for getting hurt again because I didn't do as I was told. "Well, it wasn't easy," I said offhandedly. "And working with Saitoh on anything made it that more difficult."

"Oi, Sao-neechan!" Kenji-kun pulled down on my arm.

I looked down at him and smiled. "What, Kenji-kun?"

"Where's Shi-nii?" he asked, swinging my left arm back and forth playfully.

"Shi-nii is checking on the decorations for the party tomorrow."

In all honestly, I was glad he was getting out of the house for a little while. Lately, Aoshi rarely left his room, let alone the Aoi-ya. Was he deep in contemplation? I wouldn't know. For the past few weeks it had been impossible to go see him, because of the tourist season and the preparations for the festivities. We would perhaps get a quick glance at each other before bed, and that was all.

Although, the time "apart" gave me the opportunity to think about things at a deeper level. I realized that it wasn't the fact that Aoshi had done what he did that scared me After all, if Aoshi was ever murdered, I know I would probably lash out in the same way. What I was really frightened of was the memories that came to mind as I saw him covered in blood. Jiya's hot sticky blood pooling around my knees as I screamed to the wind about the unfairness of it all, and his harsh words to me: " _Get out of my sight._ " Those memories had been locked in the back of my mind until that day. I was just so happy to have Aoshi back that I thought the rest didn't matter. Obviously it did, and it was something I needed to deal with.

This realization made the subject of Aoshi, and my confusion towards him, a lot easier to handle-- when I actually saw him.

Kenji-kun's face lit up. "A party? Yay!"

I laughed, swinging our arms. "Yeah, it's going to be great, Kenji-kun! There'll be lot of food and music and, well," another laugh, "I think Jiya ended up inviting the entire city of Kyoto, so there'll be plenty of people."

"You actually trust Shinomori Aoshi to help decorate?" Yahiko asked, half laughing.

"If you mean 'help' by hanging up things, then no. But he will stand around and _watch_ everyone else until things are done."

Kaoru-san laughed. "If Aoshi-san needs help with decorating, I'm sure Yahiko would be happy-"

"Oi!"

I winked at Kaoru-san, who was mischievously grinning at me. "That's okay, Kaoru-san. It's a _man's_ job after all."

Yahiko steamed. He stopped over, stopping in front of me, which stopped the whole procession. "Hey, I'm grown up just as much as _you_ are, _Weasel girl_!"

"Yahi-nii! Stop pickin' on Sao-neechan!" Kenji-kun piped up. I chocked back my laugher as the toddler stomped over to Yahiko and put his hands on his hips, just like I had seen Kaoru-san do countless times. Sure, normally I would have a problem with someone sticking up for me like that, but this was too funny.

It must have been just as hilarious to Yahiko, because he looked as if he was going to burst. "Kenji, man. I thought you were on my side!" he managed to say without laughing.

"Sao-neechan doesn't take my cookies!"

"Well, I-"

"Sao-neechan always plays with me!"

"Hey, brat, I play-"

"An' Sao-neechan doesn’t call me brat!"

Yahiko put his hands up defensively. "All right, all right. You got me." Yahiko looked to me with a priceless look on his face. Oh yeah, the next few days were going to be pretty entertaining.

  
Standing diligently outside of the Aoi-ya, Aoshi was keeping a look out for the group.

"Aoshi!" I waved my hand up in the air and he nodded in recognition. Wasn't expecting any more.

"Hello, Aoshi," Himura said as he took a few steps in front of the group so he could reach the Aoi-ya first. "How have you been?"

Aoshi raised an eyebrow. "Well," he replied. "Although, as you can imagine, it has been quite hectic as of late."

"A wedding tends to mix things up quite a bit," Himura said, laughing.

"Indeed." Aoshi turned his attention to me. "Misao, Okon and Omasu have been looking for you. They are ready to begin the preparations for the ceremony."

"Ah! I must've been at the station longer than I thought! Aoshi, can you show Himura and the others to their rooms?" I turned to the group behind me. "Sorry I have to go!"

Kaoru-san laughed. "That's all right, Misao-chan. We know you have more important things to do. Do you want me to come up and help?"

I shook my head quickly. "No, no, Kaoru-san. You don't know what those two can be like." Aoshi and I exchanged knowing glances. "I wouldn't want to make you suffer through it as well."

"Oh they really can't be-"

"Believe us," Aoshi interrupted. "You do not want to be present." I could help but grimace. Somehow, Aoshi sounded almost delighted by the fact I would be stuck in a room with the two cackling hens for the next few hours.

Kaoru-san looked at me, silently asking if that was all right. I nodded and then turned towards Aoshi. "Don't forget you have to start to get ready too."

"My attire will not require half the time it will take for you to be ready," Aoshi retorted.

I smirked. "Are you saying that I get dressed slowly?"

"Incredibly," he replied with a small smile.

A big smile came to my face. I almost ran up and kissed him for being so adorable to me at that moment, but decided against it. Kaoru-san and the others would be embarrassed, and wouldn't understand why I was so happy. Besides, there would be plenty of time later.

I quickly ran up the stairs to my room, where Okon-san and Omasu-san were waiting for me. It wasn't as if I wanted to sit and listen to them tease me for several hours, but the sooner I went up there, the sooner it would be over.

The both of them were waiting for me with smiling faces. Smiles that would send any sane person running for the hills. This was going to be great fun.

Okon-san sat me down and immediately started to brush my hair. "Hey, Omasu-- what do you think we should do with her hair?" It was still pretty short from the "cut" that Daidouji had given it.

Omasu-san bit her lip in contemplation. "Well, we could just put a wig on her. Or perhaps we could pull her hair up and clip extensions?"

"Can't we just leave my hair as is?" I asked.

I might as well have been speaking another language from the looks I got from the two women.

They chose to ignore my suggestion and continued with their discussion. "Extensions I have-" Okon-san smiled. "Be right back-"

"No really, Okon-san! That's not--"

Omasu-san yanked on what little hair I did have. "Now, now, Misao-chan. You want to look pretty don't you?"

I scoffed. "But everybody already knows my hair is short. They're going to know that whatever you're going to do will be fake hair."

"It's tradition, Misao-chan. Don't argue."

I pouted. "Whatever. Tradition also says your going to put layers of kimono on me too. I'm telling you, it's not that important-"

Omasu-san yanked on my hair again. "It's important to Okina, and all of us, so just grin and bare it. Okay, Misao-chan?"

"All right, all right," I said with a smirk. Complain as I might, I knew I was going to do everything "traditionally," if only as a thank you to Jiya and the others for taking care of me.

There was a knock at the door. "Come in!" I called, and the door slid open.

"Aoshi-sama!" Omasu-san said as she quickly jumped over to the door. "What can I do for you?"

"Aoshi?" I looked over my shoulder to verify it was him. Not that I didn't trust Omasu-san-- but there was no real reason why Aoshi should have been coming to my room. Especially since we had guests and I had left them in his care.

"Could I speak to Misao alone for a moment, Omasu?"

"Uh, sure-" Omasu-san replied, visibly confused. Should it be such a shock that he wanted to talk to me? After all, we were already registered as a married couple. It was just "tradition" to have the ceremony on another day.

Omasu-san quietly excused herself from the room. I turned my whole body to face him. "What's up?" He handed me a fairly large wrapped wooden box. "What's this?" I asked.

"We never had a proper exchange of gifts," he replied.

"Well, you already have given me something, Aoshi. If anything, I should be the one-"

He held up a hand to quiet me. "The gift I gave you, you cannot use now, correct?"

"I'll be able to in a few years," I said slowly, twiddling my thumbs in nervousness. "Once my hair grows back..."

"Then I am giving you a gift you can use now."

"But Aoshi," I reasoned. "I still haven't given you anything."

He knelt down on the floor and cupped his large hand around my cheek. "Yes you have. You are here."

I scoffed, pulling my face away from his hand. "That's hardly an expectable-"

"If you feel that way, then there _is_ something you can do for me."

I raised an eyebrow. "And what's that?"

"Open the present."

" _Aoshi_ -" I whined.

"After you open the present, I will tell you what I desire," he replied.

"You mean, besides me," I said with a sly grin.

He smiled slightly. "Open it."

I did as I was told. The cloth that wrapped the wooden box was a dark blue, patterned with hand-stitched light blue circles that looked like bubbles. My hands were shaking with excitement as I opened the box. I may not have wanted Aoshi to give me another present, but the fact that he was being so evasive about it made me more that just a little curious what the gift was. Inside, wrapped in paper, was an elaborate kimono. It too was a very deep blue, with large carnations stitched in white and gold. Some of the flowers were larger than my hand. I took the kimono out of the box, entranced with how beautiful it was. "Aoshi... I don't know what to say..."

He was staring at me, but it seemed more to be that he was staring _through_ me, like he was remembering things from long ago. Finally, he blinked and brought his attention back to reality. "Your last _furisode_ kimono. I thought I should be the one to buy it," he said. 

I laughed. "Because I've had so many." I hugged the kimono to my chest. "Oh Aoshi-- this is so pretty!"

"And now for your gift to me-" he said, standing up. He took the kimono out of my hands and slid it over my shoulders. Whispering in my ear, he said, "I ask that you wear this to the reception this evening."

Tilting my head back, I smiled up at him. "Somehow, I think I'm coming out on top here."

"That is debatable," he replied with a small smirk.

My face blushed. With a loud cough, I quietly looked away from him. Since what happened in Tokyo, Aoshi and I had practiced a very strong resistance to each other. Sure, there would be a touch here, a kiss on the forehead there, but we hadn't been, well, intimate. For a while it was because of our recovery, both mentally and physically. But since we had returned to Kyoto, we had just kept to ourselves. Of course the teasing from Omasu-san and Okon-san, the looks of terror from Shiro-kun and Kuro-kun, and the glares from Jiya, would stop even the horniest people dead in their tracks. But the sexual tension was about to kill me. After today there would be no reason for us not to be together like that. "Th-thank you for the gift," I managed to stutter out.

He cupped his hand under my chin again, and eased my head back so I would look into his eyes. "You are welcome, Misao."

We stayed like that for a few moments, until Okon-san came clamoring into the room with the extensions. "Omasu! Misao-chan! I got-" she instantly froze when she saw Aoshi and I. "Oh... sorry." She smiled knowingly. "I didn't know I was interrupting."

"You weren't," I replied, curtly.

" _Uh-huh._ " Okon-san looked less than convinced.

Aoshi let go of me and took a few steps back. "I need to begin preparations for the ceremony, so if you would excuse me, Okon," Okon-san bowed, but she was still grinning. "Misao."

"See you later," I said with a small wave. 

As the door shut, Okon-san walked over to me, the extensions in hand. "Bad Misao-chan! Trying to get some kicks in before the ceremony?"

"No, Aoshi just wanted to give me a gift!" I defended.

"Is that what they are calling it nowadays?"

If I could've exploded at that moment, I would've, taking Okon-san down with me. "We weren't doing _anything_!"

"Then why did Omasu leave?"

I flushed. "B-because Aoshi asked her if we could be alone." I swallowed hard, trying to find some pride somewhere. "I don't have to explain myself-- we're already married anyway, so there's nothing wrong if we _were_ doing anything- which we _weren't_."

Okon-san didn't look convinced in the slightest.

I let out a long sigh. "Whatever, can we just get this over with?"

Omasu-san walked into the room, also smiling. "Are you and Aoshi-sama finished with your _business_?"

Maybe exploding was the only option...

  
Three hours of excessive hair pulling later, I finally got to see myself in the mirror. Omasu-san and Okon-san had managed to fashion my hair into something I never would think possible. I paid no attention while they were pulling and yanking and prodding my skull, but the end result was a fairly large bun of hair on the back of my head, with two tortoise shell _kanzashi_ on the sides, and I could feel one in the back as well. It looked like I had two horns. They had also managed to hang another _kanzashi_ which hung down almost in my face with its white beading. The cherry blossom clip that Aoshi had given me in Tokyo was also in the arrangement. I was half afraid to touch my hair. Not that I could, because the elaborate white kimono, which drug on the floor, weighed me down. It was the kimono mother wore when she married father, and it was fairly big on me. My heart was racing from just wearing it.

"And now," Omasu-san said from behind me. "We put the veil on."

She slid a white piece of silk over my hair, covering almost everything that they had done. "After all of that, you're covering up my hair? What was the point?" I exclaimed.

"You'll be glad when it's time for the reception." Okon-san patted me on my shoulders.

I glared at her in the mirror. "I want it taken down now, I don't wanna think about how it's going to feel in a few hours." 

"But you look so pretty, Misao-chan!" Omasu-san chimed in, putting a hand on my other shoulder. "Aoshi-sama is going to be so surprised."

"Yep, she almost looks grown up," Okon-san replied.

I twitched. "Thanks for your _compliments_. Can we go now?"

"My, my, such an impatient bride." Okon-san smiled. "I think she's anxious for this evening, Omasu."

Omasu-san smiled. "Sure looks like it."

Both women pretended to cry and shouted, "Our little Misao-chan is growing up!"

I grumbled about the two women as I headed towards my door. On my first step, I almost tripped, because I wasn't used to walking in such a long kimono. Getting down the stairs was going to be interesting.

Okon-san stepped in front of me and folded the kimono in some way to make it shorter. It was like a magic trick. "We'll let that down when we get to the shrine. Wouldn't want you to get the white dirty, hm?"

It was still difficult to walk down the steps. Okon-san ended up walking in front of me, with Omasu-san behind me, just in case I fell. Downstairs, Himura and the others were waiting, dressed in formal clothing, and ready to go. Even little Kenji-kun was wearing a fancy kimono and hakama, which was dark gray with black stripes. Himura wore a similar outfit. Not surprisingly, Yahiko looked about as thrilled as I was being dressed in his plain gray kimono and hakama. Megumi-san and Kaoru-san were dressed in kimono that were dark blue, with red and gold obi respectively. The kimono were similar to what Omasu-san and Okon-san were already wearing. 

"Oh Misao!" Jiya said to the left of me. I turned to see him coming at me with arms extended, ready to squish- _er_ -hug me. "You look so pretty!" Jiya really didn't change his dress, seeing as he was always wearing nice clothing. He wore an olive green haori with matching hakama over a salmon pink kimono.

Kuro-san and Shiro-san entered the room next, both wearing dark blue hakama and kimono. Apparently, it was a theme. "Misao-chan! You look so sophisticated!" Shiro-kun said with a big smile. "I'd hardly know it was you."

"Thanks... I think." I laughed nervously. Was it really such an event that I was dressed up? "Where's Aoshi?"

"Oh he's waiting for you." Jiya winked. "Oi, Aoshi! Misao's ready to leave!"

Aoshi walked out from the kitchen, and my heart almost stopped in my chest. He was dressed in a dark violet, white-stripped haori and hakama. Underneath was a matching violet kimono. His family crest was blazon on his sash, jacket, and the back of his coat. Compared to the gaijin suits I had seen him in, this outfit looked so much better. It was practically awe-inspiring. But he wasn't speaking. He was just _staring_. But then again, so was I.

"You look very beautiful, Misao," he finally spoke, breaking the heavy silence.

"Th-thank you. You're--you--it's good."

Okon-san laughed. "I think she's trying to say that you look handsome, Aoshi-sama."

Both Omasu-san and Okon-san broke into uncontrollable giggles. I saw smiles appear on both Kaoru-san and Megumi-san's faces, as if they were trying not to break into giggles as well.

I looked away from Aoshi, blushing. This only made the two women laugh harder. It was Aoshi who saved me. "I believe that it is time for us to make our way to the temple," he said, walking towards the door.

I nodded in agreement and followed after him with a silly smile on my face.

Aoshi slid open the entrance door to the Aoi-ya and I felt the chilling breeze sweep across my face. But despite the cold, the sun was shining brightly. He turned to me and asked, "Are you ready?"

I nodded. Letting a deep breath out, I followed my husband into the sunlight; off to go share three cups of sake, and later some sashimi.

Yeah, _we_ were ready.


End file.
